Page 38 of Let Me Love You (Excess All Areas 5)

Ben huffed. “Well, that’s big of him. Thought you said you had a headache.”

“I did.”

“He didn’t make you go out, did he?”

Chaya looked down the street as if the roiling storm clouds were the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen. “No. I mean, I went out, but he didn’t make me.”

“That’s the most unconvincing no I ever heard. What a dick.”

Her eyes snapped back to his. “He’s not a dick.”

“Chay. He didn’t even answer his phone when you needed him, remember.”

“It’s just…well, we had wedding stuff to finalise with his parents and they were already there waiting for me. It was easier to go join them than wait for them to finish and come back to my apartment.”

“The wedding stuff could have waited. You probably should have had a heat blanket on your neck or something, so you didn’t feel quite so stiff this morning.” Ben reached for her shoulders, as if to massage them, something he had done a thousand times, then dropped his hands. “If he cared more about you than his damn parents and your wedding, he’d have rushed to your side and taken care of you.”

“Which reminds me, you haven’t replied to the wedding invitation. None of you have.”

Ben glanced up at the sky, then sighed. “I can’t sit and watch you marry another man, Chay. I’ve told the others to do what they want, but I don’t think they’ll go if I don’t.”

“You’re still one of the most important people in my life and I—”

“You said you have my stuff, yeah?”

She studied him for a moment, then opened the boot of the car. “It’s not as much as I had at your house. Guess it was always nicer to stay here. Sorry about the black bin liner for your clothes.”

Ben shrugged. “It is what it is.”

He pulled a bottle of truffle oil out of the brown cardboard box. “I got this because you loved it on top of mac ’n’ cheese. I barely even liked it. You should keep it.”

She took it from him and placed it in the boot as Ben grabbed the rest of the box. “Okay.”

Why did this still hurt so much? Why couldn’t they just stay friends and Asher be okay with them spending time together?

And wasn’t that the very reason Asher wanted to keep them apart?

Her heart was going to explode.

And suddenly, she didn’t want all of Ben’s things to end up back in his house. She wanted them back in hers. And just as suddenly, the idea of a lifetime with Asher, staying true to her faith, seemed unfathomable given the idea of a few hours without Ben sucked the life out of her.

She put her hand back on the box and took it from Ben.

“What are you doing?”

Whatwasshe doing?

“I’ll help you carry it in,” she said, trying to bury the sudden surge of adrenaline that masqueraded a lot like panic.

With his free hand, Ben slammed her boot shut, and she followed him the few steps to his front door.

He tossed the bag in first, then turned to take the box before placing it on the floor. “Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to cup her cheek.

He shouldn’t.

And she shouldn’t want it. But the touch of his palm felt like water after four weeks in the desert. Tears stung as she leaned into it.

“I need to go.”

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