Page 86 of Truly, Madly, Deeply

Was it so wrong that she wanted to do whatever she could to salvage it?

“Your heart”—Colin’s hand drifted, fingers skimming the swell of her breast, skin left bare, pressed up by the sweetheart neckline of her dress—“is in the right place. I’m not doubting that.”

“You’re doubting something.”

He dropped his hand and even though she was miffed that he wasn’t on board with her plan, the disappearance of his touch left her bereft. “This isn’t something you can fix. Your parents, they have to want to fix their marriage. Their marriage.”

“So I’m just supposed to sit back and watch them do nothing? Watch them throw thirty-three years away?”

She still wasn’t entirely sure this wasn’t all because of a midlife crisis, a seven-year itch multiplied by four and change.

“Not all relationships are built to last, Truly.”

Hot, frustrated tears sprang to her eyes. She blinked fast to keep them from spilling over.

“Hell, McCrory.” Hurt leeched out into her laugh, giving it a sharp edge she couldn’t have blunted had she tried. “With an attitude like that, what’s the point in trying at all?”

If some relationships were doomed from the start, why ever put your heart on the line? Why risk it?

“I don’t want to fight with you,” he said.

Neither did she. Arguing with Colin, real arguing, made her stomach ache.

She sucked in a slow, steady breath and counted to ten. When she spoke, she was careful to keep her tone even and her voice level. “Maybe you should just go.”

Before she said something they’d both regret.

His face crumpled. “Truly—”

“You’ve got to move your car, right?” A flicker of movement caught her eye; the curtains in the window beside the front door had been drawn and someone was looking out. She jerked her chin toward the house. “Looks like someone’s getting restless.”

Colin scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t like the idea of leaving like this. Can I text you later?”

She gave a jerky shrug, feeling disconnected from her body. Like there was too much happening inside her head to care about the rest of her. “If you want.”

With a grimace, Colin opened the door. The breeze blew and even though it was a balmy night, she shivered.

“Drive safe?”

She nodded, hating the stiltedness, hating that Colin was only two feet from her but he felt miles away.

The opposite of being on the same page.

“I will. You, too. Drive safe, I mean.”

Colin lingered, looking like there was more he wanted to say. He closed his eyes and shut the door and Truly—

She put on her seat belt, took two deep breaths, and shifted the car into drive.

Regardless of the time, she had a feeling she was going to be awake for a long, long time.

Chapter Sixteen

“Well, excuse me for caring.” Truly tossed the box of Cocoa Puffs back into the pantry. Chocolate equaled comfort and if anything called for comfort, it was Mom glaring daggers at her from across the kitchen island.

They’d been going round and round for the better part of a half hour, Mom tearing into her as soon as she stepped through the front door of the lake house, arriving just after four. Dad’s Toyota in the driveway had been hard to miss and Mom... to say she was displeased by Truly’s plot to get them both in the same place would be an understatement.

“Caring and meddling are two entirely different things, Truly.” Mom set her hands on her hips and scowled across the kitchen island. “Two guesses which this is and the first doesn’t count.”

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