“What else is going on?” He tilted his head, waiting for her to look at him again. “What is it?”
Paige stilled and she set her palms down flat on the countertop.
“You know you can tell me anything,” he said. “What’s on your mind?”
“You.” Her gaze met his, but there was nothing soft in her eyes. No warmth shined back at him, only cold, hard fury. “And the way you deserted me.”
Chapter Six
Time seemed to slow, while Andrew relived the past several months. Moments when he could have reached out to her but didn’t. Phone calls that he should have returned, text messages he didn’t respond to, time he didn’t spend. He wished he could go back and make different decisions, so he wouldn’t be in this position now—on the verge of losing one of the most important people in his life.
“Well?” Paige said, interrupting his thoughts.
He met her waiting gaze. “I . . .”Shit. He didn’t have an excuse for hurting her. Well, not one that wouldn’t make her angrier.
“And before you make up a sorry-ass excuse, I want to let you know that I have no problem kicking you out. Thanks for the pizza, but I can’t be lied to again.”
“You know I wouldn’t lie to you.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “I used to believe that.”
Sighing heavily, he said, “I never have before, Paige. You know that.”
“Whatever. Answer the question.”
“I didn’t desert you, Paige,” he said. When she opened her mouth to speak, he rushed on, “I needed to take a step back.”
“I got that part, Drew. But I need to know why! We were friends. I deserve the truth.”
Andrew got hung on the wordwere. As in past tense, no longer. “Wearefriends,” he corrected.
“Then why did you disappear on me? If we’re friends, why weren’t you there?”
“Because I couldn’t watch you with him!” he blared. Andrew dropped his head, scrubbing his hand over his face. The truth hurt. But it might heal. So, he forged ahead. “I couldn’t sit there and watch you twist yourself into knots trying to be a good wife to that asshole.”
“Andrew?”
He shot her a sidelong glance, noted the slight tremble in her chin.He’ddone that.He’dhurt her. And the thought thathe’dcaused her pain made him feel like shit. “It was a struggle.”
“A struggle for you. What about my struggle?” she asked. “You weren’t married to him. You didn’t live with him. You’re not the one who had to go through a divorce in front of the world. You didn’t have to watch your spouse disparage you on every media outlet. He tried to ruin my career, Andrew. Then he tried to take my house!” She tilted her head up, staring at the ceiling. “He tried to steal my soul.”
Andrew stepped forward. “Paige, I—”
She held up a hand. “Don’t. I don’t want your comfort. I needed it a week ago, I needed it months ago. But you weren’t there.”
A lump formed in his throat, as shame rolled through him. He’d fucked up. Plain and simple.Can I fix it?“I didn’t mean to make you feel abandoned.” His voice cracked under the weight of his guilt.
“Make me feel abandoned? No, I didn’t justfeelabandoned, Iwasabandoned.” She stalked outside, paced the patio in the back of the house.
Andrew followed her, making sure he stayed a distance away to give her space. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he said, “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
She froze.
“That last time, during the meeting at Pure Talent?” He swallowed. “I wanted to hurt him.”
Skye had arranged a sit-down with Julius to discuss their movie and the plan for announcing their separation. Things quickly went left and Andrew nearly pummeled Julius to the ground. Hewouldhave if Paige hadn’t run out of the conference room, prompting him to run after her. But if he had stayed . . .I might be in jail.
“Every time I saw him, I wanted to choke him,” he admitted softly. “The last thing you needed from me wasmytemper andmydisgust. It would have messed everything up.”
