Page 76 of Selfish Desires

I could only stare at Wendy, the implications of her words sinking into my mind. My past, it seemed, had decided to twist the knife a bit more, sending my heart straight to the pit of my stomach.

“No,” I responded without thinking twice.

“What do you mean, no?” Wendy did a double take, shifting away from my hold. “I’m leaving, Vincent.”

“No, you’re not. It’s not safe. What are the fucking odds of an oven exploding in your restaurant? Has anything like that ever happened before?” I pointed to her creased forehead.

“You already know the answer to your dumb question, you jerk.” The veins on her neck threatened to bulge right from her flesh.

“Then, don’t be so ignorant. Wake up and start believing what I’m saying. You’re not safe there. You need to be here right now while I figure this out.”

“Yeah? And how’s that going so far?” Wendy rolled her eyes, pivoting away from my body. “I’m leaving. Cyrus, can I have a ride back to the cabin?”

My eyes shot to Cyrus, ready to stop the hulk of a man. “Don’t you fucking move,” I warned him. Cyrus froze, torn between his loyalty to me and his desire to keep the peace. I could see the indecision in his eyes. Wendy shot him a pleading look, her hands balled into tight fists at her sides.

“Vincent,” she implored softly, “I have to go.”

I knew I couldn’t stop her, but I also knew something else. As long as the threats were back and even explosive, I had to stay away from Wendy until I figured out who was behind everything. But, this time, she would know I planned to return, and I wasn’t abandoning her. She had to understand.

“I need you to understand something.” My voice cracked as I reached for her, but Wendy offered me nothing.

“I don’t need to do anything.” Wendy crossed her arms, swallowing hard. “Just say it, Vincent. Say it. You’re not coming back with me, are you?” Her voice quivered, breaking her armor and breaking me.

I swallowed, the lump in my throat making it nearly impossible to speak. Finally, I managed to choke out two words. “Not yet.”

“Not yet?” she repeated my words, softer this time. Her eyes welled up with unshed tears, and each held an accusation that cut deep. Her face twisted into an expression of pain and disbelief. She recoiled from me as though she’d been slapped. She looked small and vulnerable in her shocked silence, making me want to reach out and pull her to me. But I knew better than to breach the distance she created. Instead of saying anything more, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the restaurant, leaving me and Cyrus.

What just happened? I let Wendy leave just like that. Alone. I didn’t think twice and bolted from the restaurant, with Cyrus following behind. I found Wendy in the parking lot, furiously dialing away on her phone.

I ran up to her, grabbing her elbow. “Wendy, you can’t go alone.”

“Don’t you fucking touch me!” Wendy wrestled away from me like I was some venomous snake. “And you will never touch me again. Do you understand?” The next move broke me. She yanked off the pink diamond on her finger and threw it squarely at my forehead.

I flinched, attempting to catch the ring but missing it by a fraction. It clattered onto the pavement, its sparkle momentarily lost amid the dirt and gravel. “Wendy, I’m not leaving you. I’m going to be right here in the middle of fucking nowhere, and you should stay here too. He might not know where you are.”

“So you’re telling me that if I head back into the danger now in Newport, you’re going to stay here?”

My brain was melting out of my ear. I was so fucking confused I wasn’t sure what the right thing to say was anymore. I knew she wasn't safe as long as we were together. “Go back to Newport with Cyrus. I will be here figuring everything out, and I’ll be back soon. I promise. This is what’s best for you right now. You have to trust me.”

“No. No! I’m not going to let you lawyer me to a decision.” Wendy exhaled. “I’m done.”

My blood ran cold. My biggest fear next to Wendy being actually harmed was coming true. “What do you mean you’re done?”

“I can’t live this way.” Wendy clutched her heart with her naked hand as a single tear fell from her eye. “All I want to do is face this together, but you’re doing the same thing you did years ago. Leaving me. What if this takes a year to solve? Five years? You won’t let yourself near me for however long it takes, and what? I’m just supposed to wait for you to come around?” She shook her head, and I knew she was right, but I was too stuck to listen to any word she had to say about the topic. My mind was made up.

“If that’s what it means to keep you safe, then I will stay away.”

“Cyrus, can you give me a ride back? I’ll take a car from the cabin.” Wendy completely ignored my existence, indicating she was done. I couldn’t blame her, but this was necessary. Creating distance between us for this stalker to see because I was the problem. Until I returned, Wendy’s life had been peaceful. And now? It was turning into a slow chaos. For me to stay with her would have been selfish.

“Wendy, I love you.” The words fell from my mouth, but she didn’t acknowledge me. Instead, she turned her back on me and walked with Cyrus to his black SUV parked in the rear of the parking lot.

I watched her go, unsure of when I’d see her again.

As they disappeared into the car, my heart pounded in regret. I knew I'd done the right thing, but it didn't make the emptiness left by her absence any easier. I looked down at the ring lying on the pavement, desolate and forgotten. Its glint in the fading sunlight seemed to accuse me of cowardice.

I picked it up carefully, feeling its cool weight in my hand, a bold reminder of our love. All our moments, shared laughter and whispered promises suddenly felt like distant memories from another lifetime. My eyes stung with unshed tears as I pocketed the ring.

Even three years ago, I hadn’t felt like I lost Wendy completely. Except, this time, it swam differently in my head. And when I watched Cyrus drive away with Wendy, it finally hit me.

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