Page 103 of Hitting the Gap

“Gonzo come on.” She stared at him like he just asked what 1+1 equaled. It wasn’t like it was a stupid suggestion. He was being nice. The last thing he wanted was for her to take a job she hated just to be with him.

When he didn’t say anything, she rolled her eyes. “First, I’m not going to let some man support me. Ever. Not a chance.”

“Okay, so you work. I don’t really see what the problem is here.”

“Agh,” Bailey growled. “You know what it was like for me moving here. How messed up I was about what happened with Brad.”

His spine stiffened. How the hell did him suggesting she let him pay for things become anything close to what that douche did to her? That was just insulting. Feeling his temperature spike, he took a deep breath. “Maybe you should explain that to me.”

“I’m not moving to another city with you. I can’t.”

The muscles in his spine tensed as her words hit him like a punch. “So let me get this straight. You were willing to move to San Diego for Brad, but you’re not willing to move someplace for me?” He paused and pressed his lips together tightly, then exhaled. “Wow. Okay, good to know.”

“And look where that got me,” she yelled.

“Seems to me it worked out pretty fucking well, since the only reason we’re together is because you moved here.”

“Yeah, we’re great, but so were things with Brad.” She shook her head. “I made that mistake before. I’m not doing it again.”

“Moving with me would be a mistake?” Jesus, that hurt. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “So you aren’t even willing to discuss it?”

Tears welled in Bailey’s eyes. “I’m sorry Gonzo, I can’t.”

He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Jesus, I’m a fucking idiot,” he mumbled. The entire drive home he’d been picturing this life they could have together, exploring a new city, picking out a place together that was just theirs and she didn’t want any of it.

“You’re not an idiot, Gonzo. I just can’t move with you.”

“No, you mean you won’t move with me.” The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him. She’d shown up at his house, broken. He’d put her back together and now he was the one broken.

“Same thing,” Bailey replied.

“Yeah, it really isn’t.” He sighed. His watch buzzed, letting him know it was time to head to the airport. He pushed off the couch. “I gotta go.”

“Go? Now?”

“I got a plane to catch.” He walked toward his bedroom.

Bailey raced after him. “But we aren’t done talking.”

He grabbed his overnight bag off the floor where he’d left it this morning. Thank god he’d packed last night. “If we keep talking, are you going to move with me?”

“No,” she whispered.

“Then not much point in talking, is there?” Pissed off, he slung his travel bag over his shoulder and tried to step around her.

“Gonzo don’t leave like this. I love you.”

“Not as much as you loved, Brad, apparently.”

Bailey reared back. He took the opportunity to step around her.

“How can you think that?” she asked.

“Umm, maybe because you were willing to change your whole life for him and move here, but you aren’t even willing to discuss moving someplace with me. Fuck, for all I know I could end up here still, but I don’t know, and you won’t even fucking discuss it.”

At the front door, he spun around. “What does that say to you? Because to me it says a hell of a lot.” He grabbed his keys out of the bowl.

Pulling open the front door, he paused. “Maybe you should start looking for a place of your own to live. I don’t know where I’m going to end up, and I sure as hell wouldn’t want you to be depending on some guy.”

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