Page 39 of Oops, I Fell For The Town Bad Boy!

“I mean, you know I’m going to be leaving soon,” he said. “We shouldn’t be acting like this is something that’s going to last.”

“I— I wasn’t aware that we were acting like that,” Taylor said. “I’ve been spending time with you because I enjoy it, not because I have any expectations.”

“Well, that’s what people say, but then it turns out they do have expectations.”

“Do you think you know me better than I know myself?” She felt frustrated.

“I think you might not want to tell me the truth about everything you’re thinking,” he said.

“So now I’m lying to you?”

“Look, this was always going to be a temporary thing,” he said, getting to his feet. “It’s probably for the best if we just call it a day on it right now.”

“You’re not leaving right now.”

“Maybe I should,” he said.

Taylor frowned. “What are you talking about? We’re about to have the farmers market. All our hard work is about to pay off — and you want to leave? God, what did I do to you?”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“Well, I must have done something.”

“It’s not about you, Taylor.”

“I’m not stupid,” she said. “You’re not leaving because you suddenly decided that raising funds for the Chesterfields isn’t a good idea. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’d be an idiot not to realize that it has something to do with me. I’ve done something to piss you off. I just don’t know what it is. But what I do know is that you’re being completely unreasonable. I haven’t done anything that would warrant you walking away like this.”

“I have a life to get back to,” he said quietly. “We both always knew that.”

“Oh, okay, and it’s that simple? You’re just leaving because you want to get back to your life? Nothing to do with anything that’s been going on here?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Well, that’s even worse. You don’t understand why that’s worse?” she asked. “If you were leaving because you were upset about something, I could understand it, at least. I know what it’s like to be so overwhelmed by your emotions that you just have to step away from what’s going on. But you’re saying that isn’t it. You’re telling me you’re leaving because you’ve just decided now is the time. Now, right before the farmers market you’ve worked so hard on is about to open — and for no other reason than that you’re just ready to go.”

Kane looked away from her. “It’s going to be hard no matter when I go,” he said. “We should get it over with.”

“I honestly don’t know why I expected anything else,” Taylor said bitterly. “I let myself think you were different now, but you’re not, are you? You’re the same person you’ve always been — running away from anything even the slightest bit difficult. You don’t want to face everyone. I bet that’s it. You’ve done so well at all this, but now you’re chickening out in the eleventh hour, and I’m the only idiot here, because I thought you had changed. I should have known better.”

“I guess you’re right,” Kane said, his voice tight.

“I’m right?”

“Yeah. I’m too weak and selfish to face up to the past. That’s what you want to hear me say, isn’t it? After all this time, after all the work I put in and all the work I let you put in for me, I was too gutless to see it through. Go ahead, say it.”

“Sounds like I don’t need to,” Taylor whispered. “Sounds like you already know.”

She stood there for a moment longer, wondering whether more words would come, or whether he’d find something else to say. But neither one of them spoke, and after a moment Taylor was forced to acknowledge the fact that the conversation was over. As ugly a note as it had ended on, there wasn’t going to be more. There wasn’t going to be resolution, or a moment where they looked at one another and realized mutually how unnecessary all this was, how hurtful they were being.

And suddenly, she couldn’t stand to be in this room with him for another moment.

She turned and hurried away, back to her own bedroom, and closed the door, feeling foolish and embarrassed for needing to hide inside her own house. But he would be gone soon enough.

How strange — how terrible — that she was using that thought to comfort herself. She had always thought she would hate the moment Kane left, but right now she felt as though it couldn’t come soon enough for her. She couldn’t relax in this house with him here. It was as if he was constantly looking over her shoulder, judging her.

Judging me because he knows that I feel something for him, and he’s never felt anything for me.

She didn’t know if that was true. Did he really feel nothing at all? Was it even possible to be as close as they had over the past few weeks and feel nothing?

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