Page 44 of Destined for Eternity
“Dammit, Bartol. It’s alwayslaterwith you.”
“The past few days have been long, and I’ve battled dozens of demons—the last of which was the worst of them.” He turned back to the sink and started scrubbing his face. “Give me time.”
Cori took a deep breath. “Fine, we won’t talk about the baby, but at least let me help you clean up. Let me do something!”
“I don’t need your help,” he said coldly, not bothering to look at her. “Now go.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. Her stupid pregnancy hormones were getting to her, so even though she recognized he wasn’t at his best right now, she didn’t want to wait longer. “Do I mean anything to you? I thought you said you loved me, but I swear all you do is push me away. As mates, we are supposed to be there for each other.”
Bartol turned toward her, face wet from washing it. “Then be there for me by going away.”
She clenched her fists, wishing he would hug her or hold her or do something a normal man would do for the woman he loved if she was upset. “Fine. If you want to play it that way, then forget it. We don’t need to talk—ever!”
His expression softened a little. “Cori…”
“No.” She shook her head and backed away. “I’ve tried and tried, but I get it now. You see me as the woman who pushed myself onto you when you wanted nothing to do with me. I never meant it to be like that, and I thought you wanted me as well, but I realize now it was all a mistake. You don’t actually want to be a father, and I’m not going to force you into it anymore.”
“We’re not a mistake,” Bartol began, pausing to search for the right words. “It’s just…”
“Nothing. It’s nothing. You need your space, as you said, and I need to stop exhausting myself trying to make this relationship work. Clearly it never will.” She turned, wanting to exit as fast as possible. “Goodbye, Bartol.”
He muttered something behind her, but she didn’t catch what he said before she slammed the door. Cori hurried down the road as fast as she could despite her ungainliness. The whole way home, she cursed Bartol under her breath. He just didn’t get it. The man thought they could sustain this awkward life where they were sort of together but not really. She’d been patient and given him time, but he didn’t even seem to be trying to work things out. Of course, he still had a lot to work through after all he’d been through in Purgatory. For the type of psychological damage he’d been through, a little over a year wasn’t enough. The problem was he wouldn’t let her help him—or anyone else. Maybe she could let it go longer if not for the baby, but she had to put their child first. No longer would she waste her precious energy on him since he clearly didn’t want it.
Cori made it up the drive and spotted her house up ahead. Panting and out of breath with tears rolling down her cheeks, she slowed down. It was getting dark and she needed to be careful. She took her final steps with care, remembering she had a baby to consider. Once she made it inside, she shut and locked the door, then paced the living room.
Frustration filled her. Cori loved Bartol, but she’d made a mistake by getting close to him only a few months after his arrival in Alaska. He hadn’t been ready, and she’d pushed him when all he wanted was to be left alone. It was just that she’d been drawn to him by a force she couldn’t fight or understand. The fact that they’d become mates said they were meant for each other, or it wouldn’t have happened, but that didn’t mean it was the right time for them to become bonded. They’d rushed into it, and now they were a mess.
She needed to give Bartol the space he wanted. All of her attempts to make things work hadn’t been effective, and she’d only made things worse. If he wanted time to get himself together, she had to give him that—even if it meant being the only parent there for their child.
Her throat tightened at the thought. After divorcing Griff, she’d had to take care of their daughter alone and that had been tough. It had been worth it to have such an amazing little girl, but there were certainly stressful moments as Cori tried to juggle work and parenting. Now she’d have to do it again, but this time from the start. Bartol might eventually come around, but it could take years at the rate he was going. She wasn’t about to hold her breath anymore. Let the man stew in his repressed emotions and inability to interact with others. Cori wasn’t going to bother him anymore.
With that thought in mind, she got herself ready for bed. Somehow, she would find a way to sleep. She knew from experience there would be little time to rest once the little one was born, so she needed to get as much as she could now.
