Page 105 of Wine & Whiskey
Her eyes widen, as if a realization occurs. “You don’t really love me, or you would want to make this work. We could get through this if you would try.” She releases the fabric and swipes at her tears with trembling hands. Her face flushes before she steps backward. Outrage flashes in her eyes. “Why do you get to make the decisions? I’ve put everything into this relationship. Now, you decide it’s over, and I’m just supposed to walk away?”
Her eyes glaze over as she holds the sides of her head. A blank expression crosses her face, and she retreats into her own mind. “I was such a fool. You swore you loved me and you’d never hurt me. I believed you, and it was all a lie.”
Her accusations test all his strength not to deny, not to take her in his arms and soothe her pain. Only anger will make her walk out the door and away from him.
She shakes her head while she wanders around the room, stuffing her phone and water bottle into her bag. “Everyone warned me, but I wouldn’t listen. I didn’t care, because all I wanted to do was be with you. How could I have been so stupid?”
As if he’s not there, she berates herself. Months of welled-up uncertainty unfurls at the demise of their relationship. “I almost lost everything, and it was all for nothing.” Her head drops down, a ragged breath shuddering her body, destroying him with her defeat. “Was any of it true? Did you ever even really love me?”
Max and Jacks walk in the room. Their conversation instantly ends as Max looks from Shae to Nick. “What’s going on?”
It’s finally over. He forces himself to say the words he never thought he could accept. “She’s leaving.”
Her chest heaves up and down as she meets his gaze, his own pain reflected back in hers. “I wish I’d never met you.”
He should think the same thing, but can’t. He never will. Not when perfection stands in front of him for the last time. His only glimpse of heaven before she’s gone. He points toward Max. “Take her home.”
Both men remain motionless.
“Get her out of here!”
Max nods to Jacks. “Take her downstairs to the limo. I’ll be there in a minute.”
She never looks back as Jacks escorts her out of the room. Once the door closes, Max turns to him. “What the hell have you done?”
Defeated from fighting his own demons, he slides down to the floor again. “Fixed my mistake.”
* * *
Her forcedsmile evaporates at the click of the bedroom door behind her. She doesn’t have to pretend with Carrie and Nathan anymore that everything’s okay. That she’s okay. Tears roll down her cheeks as she drops the handle of her suitcase and climbs into bed. A cruel trick by her imagination, she can almost smell Nick’s citrusy cologne on her pillow from the last time he was here. The day she moved into his house, blissfully unaware of the looming pain from coming back.
Ignoring Max’s pleas to give Nick a chance to calm down, she’d packed her things and asked Jacks to drive her home. Take her back to her old life. Now, with four of Nick’s men standing guard outside her house, she’s safe like he wants. If only he could have cared about what she wants.
* * *
Asingle lampburns in the darkened bedroom, reflecting the emptiness of the space. And of his life. She’s gone and not ever coming back. A note on the nightstand bears his name written in her flowing handwriting. He crumples the paper before dropping it into the trash can and pouring himself a glass of whiskey. It doesn’t matter if it’s drugged or not. Nothing matters anymore.
