Page 84 of The Last Time

“Then what?” I interrupt vehemently.

If she’s asking that I cry in her arms. she’s crazy.

Tears begin to fall down her cheeks. “Then I can’t do this anymore. I’m falling for you. I don’t know if this was supposed to be a summer fling or what the intentions were, but I can’t help it. And if you are just going to keep secrets and only give me a piece of your heart…” she wipes her tears away. “That’s just not enough for me.”

“I never promised you my secrets,” I shout. “I never promised you my heart.”

Her chest racks at my words then she starts for the door.

“Where the hell are you going?” I demand, hot on her tail.

“I’m not going to be treated like this. You need to figure your shit out.” She grabs her purse and heads for the front door. “Call me if you decide to let me in.”

Then I’m standing alone in my foyer as panic begins to build. Shit, I don’t want to lose her. I can’t lose her.

I can’t go back to the way I felt before she came back into my life.

I pace the floor as I run my hands through my hair.

Fuck! Why does she need to know that part of my past? It's too big, too life-altering. She won’t be able to keep it a secret if I tell her. She’ll want to do something. She’ll want to right the wrong, and I have my daughter to look after.

Was this ever going to work anyway? We have too much working against us.

My history, my pain, my trust issues. Her living situation, my inability to move because of my daughter, and the support system we’ve built here.

What was I thinking, letting myself get this invested in her?

But she said she’s falling for me. I hate that despite how angry I was with her, I wanted to kiss the hell out of her when she spoke those words. Because, dammit, I’m falling for her. No, I’ve already fallen. I’ve already hit the ground at full speed, heart shattered into a million pieces.

Is there a part of me that longs for someone to love and to love me?

Fuck, probably. Yes.

But to move on, I would need to forgive those who wronged me. And there’s no forgiving what was done. My heart is cold with anger and resentment.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Charlotte

It’sbeenoneweeksince the night of our fight.

The bastard won’t even communicate directly with me. Josh is now handling the final stages of the home renovation.

He is outside power washing the house to get it ready for paint.

I just wanted to call Asher and scream at him for doing this to us.

Never mind me crying myself to sleep for a week, but what about Brie? Doesn’t she deserve a father who is happy and emotionally stable?

I love that girl. I don’t want her to grow up not trusting anyone around her because that’s what she sees her father do. He will keep everyone at arm’s length, and she won’t know any different.

After several hours of throwing myself into my work, I decide I need to take a break.

I walk outside on the back deck to find Josh rolling up his extension cord.

“You all finished?” I ask.

“Yep. The guys should be here on Wednesday to start painting.”

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