Page 170 of Stuck With You
She shakes her head and rips the paper off my desk, shoving it in her purse. “No, but you let me hope I was wanted and that somewhere out there was a man I could look up to.”
It’s a spear clear through that catches my breath and steals it.
She turns, storming out, and I pop out of my chair to follow her.
“Kris, wait.”
She spins back, stopping in the middle of the shop. “No. You had years to tell me this. Years, Slade.”
Carson stands at the workbench, his focus on Krissy.
My shoulders fall with so much regret, and my lungs try to recover from the piercing of her words. “I was trying to protect you.” It sounds like the lamest excuse after everything these past few days, but it’s what I thought I was doing.
She bites her lip to keep it from trembling. “All you did was protect their secret.” One tear spills out, and my chest caves in. “I thought we were always in this together. You are all I’ve ever had.” Her chin quivers as tears stream down her cheeks.
My throat might actually swell shut. “I didn’t want what they did to hurt you.”
She stares at me, struck by the truth.
This is exactly what I wanted to prevent. “I didn’t want you to think of her differently.” It’s only a whisper.
She presses her eyes closed, and she shakes her head. “No, Slade. The only one you’ve been protecting is yourself.”
It’s a fast jab to a fresh wound.
She turns, and Carson hurries to follow her, but he stops. I tip my chin, telling him to go.
He runs, and the door bangs closed. It matches the pounding in my head and chest.
I stare at the door, knowing exactly what Krissy is feeling, but on top of that, she trusted me, and I let her down.
All we had for so long was each other, and she depended on me to be the one to keep her safe. In this case, I didn’t do that.
The only one you’ve been protecting is yourself.
Her words stab me over and over again, and I wonder if they’re true. Maybe that’s all I’ve been doing this whole time, keeping myself from facing anything and everything where I risked being hurt. Maybe that’s why I went to Macavoy without telling Sarah—I’m afraid of losing her.
I clench my fist and realize I’m still holding the pen. I throw it across the room, and the door swings open.
Carson steps in, shaking his head. “She’s gone.”
“She’s not ok.”
He runs a hand over his light scruff.
“I need you to check on her.”
He nods. “I’ll find her. You all right?”
Not even a little.
“Just make sure she’s good for a while.”
“You got it.” He grabs his keys and takes off.
I stroll back to my office, wanting to rip the whole damn thing to pieces, but it won’t help.
I drop into my chair, knowing I can’t fix this. At least, not yet. I rest my elbows on my desk and let my head fall into my hands. My throat aches, and for the first time since my mom died, my eyes fill with tears while I drown in remorse.
