“I don’t think I did.Misunderstand, I mean.”I drained the last of my coffee, barely tasting it before swallowing.“But I don’t think you want to believe me, either, so what’s the point in arguing about it.”
“I just...”
“No!”It came out louder than I meant it to, so much louder.Fueled by anger, and resentment, and - in about equal measure - unspeakable rage at myself, for foolishly getting involved in someone else’s relationship.Flynn might be intentionally myopic, yes, but I knew the risks and I still waded in regardless.
“I’m not doing this with you, okay?”I forced my voice down, scrabbling for control where best I could find it.“Believe what you want to believe; ignore what you want to ignore.But don’t try to convince me of the same thing, just because it’ll make you feel better about it.”
There was a trash can to the side of the bench.I tossed my empty cup in there, and stood.
Flynn grabbed the hem of my coat.“Oli, wait.”
I looked down at him.Telling myself his pale face was because of the morning’s chill.“Why?”
His jaw was clenched tight.Muscles flinching with the effort of unlocking it.“You can’t just leave.”
I laughed; it had a sharp edge to it, a haze of something almost close to hysterical disbelief.“I don’t live here, Flynn.So, I’m going home.”
He didn’t release my coat.“We need to talk about this.”
Carefully, I brushed his hand away.Took a step back.“We don’t.We already talked; you decided what you prefer to believe.And that’s fine, Flynn, it truly is.”
“I don’t like that this is how it’s ending.”
“We have a track record of things finishing between us.”I made no attempt to hide the sadness in my smile.“It was good to see you again, Flynn.”
There were words which would make me sit down again, I knew it.I just didn’t know what they were.
Apparently Flynn didn’t either.
“Drive safe, okay?”he said, instead.
I nodded, because there wasn’t much else I could do, and then I turned and walked back to the hotel.
Chapter Sixteen
There was no grand, romantic gesture; no chasing me through the city streets, Flynn throwing himself in front of my truck, demanding I listen, that I accept his apology.Just the bland room, and my few belongings stuffed back in my bag, and then the practiced smile of the woman at reception as I checked out.
