Page 128 of Chasing Sparks

“Are you going to yell at everyone in town? Because everyone is talking. This is the biggest damn story around for this stinking storybook village.”

“Ori—”

“I’m not done.” She tears the card from the flowers and throws it onto the desk. “What the hell doesthatmean?”

I pick up the card, running my finger over the words. “Exactly what it says. I meant every word. Everything I told you last night—I meant it.”

I hope my admission will soften her, but no dice. If anything, it fuels her fury.

“You meant every word? Which part? The part where you aren’t capable of loving? Or the part where I shouldn’t get my hopes up? Which one did you mean?”

I open my mouth to respond, but she throws up a hand, silencing me. She isn’t finished—not by a long shot.

“I really believed I could change your mind. That loving you enough would make you realize what we had. Turns out, there’s a fool born every minute.” She shakes her head, her voice cracking as fresh tears spring to her eyes. “I was right there the whole time, and you didn’t believe in it. Didn’t play that way. Then you knock up your ex-girlfriend, and suddenly you’re all about giving me what I want. What you don’t want is to lose.”

That’s it. I close the distance between us, sliding my hands along her jaw and forcing her to meet my gaze.

“You’re right. I don’t want to lose you, little one. Do you know why? Because you made me believe in love again. You did. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t stand a chance. I want to give you everything you want—a family, a home. Whatever it is, it’s yours.”

Her voice breaks as she pulls away. “What is it you think I want? A sympathy fuck and a pity baby?”

“That’s not what it would be?—”

“Well, that’s how it would feel. And that’s what everyone would think.” She swipes at her tears. “What does it matter anyway, Ash? You don’t believe in love, marriage, or any of thosestupid novelties, do you? Funny thing is, you made me stop believing in them, too.”

“Ori, there’s nothing funny about that.”

She stares at the floor, her voice trembling. “I know.”

A soft knock sounds at the door, and Lucille pokes her head in. “Hi, sorry to disturb?—”

Seems Ori has had enough of us both. She whirls around, her voice rising in a strangled cry. “You’renotsorry. Not one bit. You’re loving every second of this, aren’t you? Well, guess what, Lucille? You win. I’m done.”

Her words slice through me, leaving nothing but a hollow ache in their wake. I can’t move. I can’t breathe.

Ori’s given up. On me. On us. And that terrifies me more than any of Kevin’s threats or Lucille’s secrets ever could.

“Ori, don’t do this. Please.”

Am I begging? Damn right. I’ve seen Ori’s temper before, but never like this. Never at a point where I couldn’t talk her down.

She throws her hands up, her gaze bouncing between Lucille and me. “Looking at you two, I get it. You’re a perfect fit. I was the one who didn’t make sense. I see that now.”

I slump into my chair as my world shatters around me. “You’re different. I always said that.”

She pauses, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “You break hearts every day, Ash. What’s one more?”

Her words hang in the air like a final nail in my coffin as she storms out of the office.

This time, I know she won’t come back.

I open my mouth, but the words choke me. She can’t hear them, anyway.

I’ve broken hearts, yeah. But yours? Yours is the only one that would break me.

“Ash, I’m so sorry,” Lucille whispers, her hand gripping the doorknob as she closes the door. “Let me go talk to her.”

“Just stop,” I groan, my head thumping like a goddamn marching band.

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