Page 44 of Hang the Moon
Darcy stared.
“Gah.” Annie threw her hands up. “Brendon doesn’t know me, so—”
“Would it be so bad? Letting him get to know you?”
Yes.
It wasn’t just a bad idea.
It was the worst idea.
Because letting Brendon get to know her meant letting him in. It meant trusting him with a million little facts, all the haphazard pieces of herself, and hoping he’d remember them all.
You couldn’t be disappointed when someone forgot your middle name if they didn’t know your middle name. You couldn’t be upset when someone forgot your favorite food or how you felt about your job if you never told them to begin with. You couldn’t be disappointed when someone stopped caring if you never expected them to in the first place.
Rejections always stung, but nothing hurt quite as badly as sharing pieces of yourself, trusting someone with your heart, and then being cast aside when you cared more than they did.
“Jesus, Darce. Why are you pushing this so hard?”
“I’m notpushing. I’m asking.” Darcy frowned. “Why are you getting so defensive?”
“I’mnot. I’m—” Shit. She was. Annie shut her eyes. “Sorry.”
Darcy made a soft sound in the back of her throat before waving off the apology. “It’s fine. I just wish you’d talk to me. I know Brendon’s my brother and I have a tendency to get a little protective—”
Annie snorted. Understatement of the century.
“Okay.” Darcy rolled her eyes. “A lotprotective. But you’re my best friend and I care about you, too. I’m not trying to meddle, I swear. I’m trying to understand.”
When Darcy put it like that, it was hard to remain defensive. Annie sighed. “Like I said, I got caught up in the moment. It was just a kiss. And it’s not going to happen again.”
Darcy didn’t look convinced. “Why not?”
“Darcy...”
Darcy waited, hands clasped in her lap.
This was the moment Annie had come to town for, at least part of the impetus behind her decision to fly to Seattle. So she could tell Darcy this in person instead of over the phone.
She’d known this was coming and she’d already told Brendon, so why was it so hard to justsayit? Maybe because telling Darcy made it real. That was the only thing she could come up with, the reason why she was stalling.
Annie squared her shoulders. “I got a promotion.”
Darcy sucked in a breath. “You did?”
She nodded. “I did.”
Darcy waited.
Here went nothing. “It’s—it’s a great opportunity. Higher salary, for one.”
Darcy smiled tightly. “Long lead-in. I’m sensing abuthere.”
Annie dropped her eyes. “But it’s in London.”
A pause followed. “I’m assuming you accepted. You must’ve, if you’re telling me.”
“I did.” Annie lifted her eyes. Darcy was staring behind her, glaring at the wall like it had personally offended her. “My flight is in exactly a month.”
