Page 44 of So That Happened
He leant back on his elbows and looked out to sea. ‘She had some crazy idea that my parents would suddenly realise what a crappy job they’d done raising us and it would all be rainbows and fairy dust if we handed over our inheritance. When I wouldn’t, she stood back and watched them cut me out of the family.’
‘I don’t understand why Abi would do that to you.’
He shrugged. ‘She wanted an easy life. And I guess she was jealous I’d got more of the inheritance than she had. Perhaps she was trying to level things out. I don’t know.’
Josie stared at him. His face was expressionless, as if he’d locked his feelings about the whole mess down tight – as if this was just some ordinary story he was recounting. His coldness disturbed her. If he could be this way about his family – the people he was supposed to love unconditionally – how would he deal with the ups and downs of a relationship with a lover? Another strike against him.
‘And you’ve never spoken to any of them again?’
He shrugged. ‘Abigail’s tried to contact me over the years, but I’m not interested. She burnt that bridge long ago by siding with them.’ His expression hardened, his brow furrowing and his lips thinning. ‘My parents are dead now – but you knew that, right?’
Sitting up, he picked up a small stone and threw it hard into the sea, where it disappeared with a plop.
She nodded, remembering Abi having time off a year ago when her mother had passed away after losing her battle with cancer. ‘Well, I imagine Abi regrets what happened now.’
‘I should think so. The business went bankrupt so she’ll have lost the lot.’
There wasn’t a flicker of concern in his tone.
Josie knocked the sand off her hands and rubbed her fingers across her forehead to relieve the sudden pressure there, sadness surging through her for them both. How awful to be made to pick sides like that. No wonder he was so emotionally detached.
‘Will you ever give Abi a chance to explain?’
‘Why would I? I have no interest in seeing her again.’
She could see why Abi was resigned to him never letting her back into his life; he was so single-minded about it. This inflexibility unnerved her; it double-proved him to be a dangerous person to get involved with, but she still ached to be able to help both him and his sister in some way.
‘You really are one stubborn son of a bitch, you know,’ she blurted, immediately regretting the bite of frustration in her voice.
He just looked at her for a beat, then shrugged, his face blank of emotion. His ability to lock down so tight was chilling.
‘Do you think we should end this thing between us?’ she asked, bracing herself for the affirmative.
‘Do you?’
She paused. On one hand she didn’t think she could stand being around him, allowed only to look and not touch – not when she knew how great sex could be with him. It would be torture. On the other it would be the shrewdest thing to do. She was already having trouble dealing with the crazy mess of emotion he was stirring in her and this was not what she’d signed up for.
Take control, Josie.
‘Perhaps it would be for the best.’
He grunted and shook his head. ‘Fine.’ Standing up, he offered her his hand and pulled her to stand. ‘Let’s go home,’ he said wearily.
12
They were both quiet for the journey home. Connor had put the roof up on the car, enclosing them in their own uncomfortably intimate world. Without anything else to do, Josie ran over and over their earlier conversation in her head until she thought she’d go crazy with it.
She was hyper-aware that she’d ruined his fun trip to the seaside by bringing her self-esteem issues along for the ride. No wonder she’d been single for so long. She had no idea how to handle herself in these sorts of situations.
Finally, they swung into the long driveway of the farmhouse and Connor jerked the car to a halt, jamming on the handbrake then unfastening his seatbelt in one swift movement.
He turned to face her, his gaze steady and cool, but she could have sworn she glimpsed a flash of confusion in his eyes.
‘Home safe,’ he said.
Without another word he swung himself out of the car and strode away, letting himself in through the heavy oak door of the house.
She sat in stultified silence, staring after him, reluctantly acknowledging the throb of longing deep inside her.
