Page 102 of Snared Rider

I blink at his words and my guts roil. “What?”

“Me. You. This. Playing house. It’s not going to work, Beth. I can’t do it.”

His matter-of-fact tone cuts through me like multiple knives.

Is he serious?

My heart races, the pounding uncomfortable beneath my ribs. “What the hell, Logan?”

“I can’t be tied to someone right now.”

I stare at him, trying to see the joke in his words, but there’s no humour there. My breath catches in my throat as pain lances through my soul like an ice pick. I can barely compute what he’s saying.

“What about our plans, our future?”

“I’m sorry.” He looks right at me as he says the words, “you’re going to have to make new plans. We’re done.”

And just like that my world stops.

Nausea climbs up my throat and I try to make sense of what he’s saying. Three days ago, he was telling me he loved me. We were planning for our future, now he’s saying we’re done?

Why?

What the hell changed?

“I’m sorry I called you so much.” I hate how desperate I sound, and I hate it because I’m starting to feel desperate. This can’t be it. It can’t. Years I’ve waited for him and now that I have him I don’t want to give him up.

But I hate that I can’t be strong, that I can’t just walk away with my dignity intact. If he wants me on my knees begging him to stay I’ll do it.

“I was worried about you, Lo. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

His hand scrubs across his mouth.

“Babe, it’s not about you calling me. This just… It’s not going to work.”

Pain steals my breath again and I let out a loud hitch.

Shit.

“What did I do?” My voice is small and pathetic. God, I wish I could rant at him but I can hardly speak. It’s taking everything I have to stay on my feet and not collapse into a puddle of tears.

He looks uncomfortable. “You didn’t do anything.”

“So why’re you doing this?” Tears burn my eyes and my throat clogs. Indescribable agony clutches my stomach as I try and fail to discern what is happening.

“It’s got to be done.” His expression is hard. I’ve never seen him look like this, not in all the year’s I’ve known him. Not even after he lost his dad.

“What happened to you?” I demand as I give into my torment and let my tears fall. I can’t stop them, even though I wish I could.

“What do you mean?”

“You left on Saturday and everything was fine. Now, it’s not fine? What happened?”

He stares at me, and I can’t get a read on him at all. When he speaks, his tone is cold. “I’m sorry for doing it like this, but it’s better than continuing in a lie.”

“That’s not an answer, Logan.”

Not when you’re breaking my heart into pieces. Tears flow unchecked and my arms wrap around my waist. I see a flicker of emotion flash across his face but he covers it fast.

“I don’t have any answers to give you that will satisfy you.” He sniffs, then says, “I’ll see you around, B.”

He turns and leaves without another word.

And my world falls apart.

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