Page 124 of Just (Fake) Married
I heard all this regret in his voice and maybe confusion too. He didn’t understand that this was goodbye for me, even after I’d confessed I loved him.
“This won’t mess up the festival.” I said. “If anyone asks, I’m just staying with my mom for a bit because she misses me and I’m helping out around the house.”
More lies.
“Also, we can start softening up the ground for our eventual break up,” I added.
“And what if I don’t want to break up?” he asked. He was next to me and staring at me so hard I forgot what I was saying. What I was doing.
Letting him go.
“You have that interview the day after the festival and we both know you’ll get the job. You’re too big to stay here, Ethan. You’re meant for bigger things.”
“You’ll come visit, right? That’s what I was going to say last night before the accident. We could do the long-distance thing for a while. See if we can find a situation that works for both of us.”
I closed my eyes. Swallowed the sob in my chest.
“What does that look like to you?” I asked. “What situation could possibly work for both of us? You hate this town and I love it. My life is here. Your life is in Arizona.”
“Harmony,” he said, and I could hear the pain in his voice. “You said you loved me.”
And you asked if I wanted to date long distance.
The disconnect was staggering. The fall was deadly.
I took a deep breath and just popped everything back to where it should be.
“Come on, Ethan, we already know how this story ends. You’re a McGraw and I’m a Calloway, and, frankly, one little divorce is nothing between our families.” I slid the beautiful emerald ring he’d given me months ago off my finger and I immediately felt naked without it. I set it on the bedside table where it gleamed and winked in the lamplight.
“Come on, girls,” I said to the animals, still tucked into their beds. “It’s time to leave.”
I closed his door behind me and went to my room to get my things.
Packed, with two bags over my shoulders and my animals following me, making baffled and worried noises because they knew something was going on, I made my way downstairs.
Dawn was a light lavender out the windows, there was no reason to believe that anyone would be awake. Except, of course, as soon as I got to the front door, Carter was coming in.
“Hey!” he said, with a welcoming smile.
So different from that time he caught me coming out of Ethan’s room half dressed. Like he was beginning to accept my place here in this family.
I tried to smile. Tried even to wipe my tears away, but that only drew his attention to them.
“Harmony,” he said, stepping closer, his arms out wide like he might hug me. “Are you all right? What happened?”
“Nothing,” I said. Which was such an obvious lie.
“What did that idiot do?”
“Nothing that wasn’t going to happen sooner or later.”
“He broke up with you,” Carter growled. “Now?”
“No. I broke up with him. If that’s what we’re calling it. Remember, this was fake to begin with. But it’s fine. We still know what we need to do. We’re not going to let you or the Swinging D down. I promise.”
He grunted. Then he took my bags off my shoulder and I followed him outside to my truck.
He put my bags in the back of the truck and opened the back door, giving the girls a boost when they needed it.
