Page 73 of Safe With You

He rushed on before she could try. “I was hoping you’d come for the weekend. My parents have a big Fourth of July party planned. A lot of family will be coming, and I’d like you to be there. Then we could check out the apartments before you leave.”

Katie froze again, struggling for the right words. Her hesitation was enough because his voice changed, and the excitement evaporated.

“A place like that won’t be available for long. I don’t think it’s an opportunity you should pass up. You won’t find anything else that nice at that price.”

She swallowed to try to moisten her throat. “It’s a lot to think about.”

Drew’s sigh filled her ear. “But why? You know you’re coming back. This might be sooner than you’d like, but what if you can’t find anything when you are ready? You have to take an opportunity when it comes.”

She considered his words. He was right if the situation was different. But even if things hadn’t changed and they would have had this conversation a week ago, Katie knew she would feel the same way. She couldn’t see herself living in Madison when it came down to it. She hadn’t been able to for a long time. Distance and being in Two Lakes had shown her just how much she’d been living a lie for the past few years. She’d been coping—making things work to be near Grandma. But that wasn’t the life she wanted. She was made for the life she had here, not the one she’d constructed in Drew’s world out of necessity.

She squeezed her eyes shut again. Everything was about to change. “I don’t think I can do it, Drew. This is the first time I’ve felt at home and had a true sense of peace my entire life.”

A heartbeat of silence rang in her ears before his flat voice broke through. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t want to leave Two Lakes.”

If only she could see his face. This was a horrible conversation to have over the phone. But then, all she would see was the hurt.

She heard him take a hard breath. He was probably rubbing his thumb against his forehead like he always did when he was stressed.

“So what now? It’s been two months, and I’ve only seen you once. I can’t do this long-distance thing. Not if you have no plan to come back.”

“I know.” What else could she say? Long distance would never work. Not now.

The hurt bled into his voice. “I knew this would happen. I knew when I left, you weren’t coming back.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to be this way, but I can’t help feeling that this is where I’m supposed to be.”

A few seconds of heavy silence gave way to a question brimming with desperation. “What if I asked you to marry me?”

Katie raised her brows. She had not seen that coming, but it wasn’t a real proposal. He was desperately trying to salvage the last three years between them, and she couldn’t blame him. Even knowing she had to walk away, it was still hard to let go.

“Then I would ask if you are really ready to get married or just trying to keep me close.”

As much as they cared about each other, she knew neither of them was ready—not even after three years, and that was the problem.

Something changed in Drew’s voice then. It didn’t raise or get sharper but developed a suspicious edge. “This is about more than just staying in Two Lakes, isn’t it? It’s about Ethan.”

She grimaced. Part of her had selfishly hoped she could keep Ethan out of this conversation. Given the awkward situation between them, how did she even respond? She had feelings for him, yes, but they weren’t reciprocated. It wasn’t like she was leaving Drew for him. For all she knew, she’d lose him too.

“Ethan is my best friend, Drew. He has been for most of my life. I care about him deeply. I…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what else to say.”

Skepticism leaked through the phone. Whatever she did or didn’t say, he knew. Maybe he had known even before she did. But her feelings were irrelevant at this point. Even if she didn’t have feelings for Ethan, the relationship wasn’t working.

“This isn’t only about Ethan or even location. We’ve been living two completely separate lives ever since we met. And while it’s good to have our own pursuits and not depend completely on each other, there should have been a point where our lives meshed if this was ever going to work. We grab quick coffees on your breaks and get dinner here and there, but we never just hang out and spend quality time getting to know each other.”

“What do you want me to do? Work and study take time. I’ve wanted this since I was a kid.” His voice sharpened now, but she could tell it was raw with emotion.

“I know, and I’ve always supported you. I understand your time is limited, but…relationships take work too.” Her own voice broke at the end, a lump lodging in her throat. She drew a deep breath to hold herself together. “I’m not saying you’ve never made an effort. You’ve been wonderful to me, and I am grateful for that. I just think we have two very different lives. I need to work on figuring out exactly what I want for my future, and you need to focus on your career. It will be a good thing for both of us. I know how important your work is, and I want you to succeed. I’ve always wanted that.”

A defeated sigh came through, and then a long moment of silence.

“You’re probably right. Goodbye, Katie.”

“Goodbye, Drew.”

The line went dead, and the quietness of the room closed around her as she stared at the blank screen on her phone. At first, she just stood there numb. Had the conversation really just happened? Had her relationship of three years really just ended? As it sank in, the emotions welled. She stepped back and slid down against the wall next to her incomplete shelves and cried.

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