Page 98 of Running to You

Because he was right, and she knew it.

So he pressed forward. “It was just a matter of time before your mother talked you into dumping me. You never could stand up to her for long.”

“So you pulled away.”

“What did you expect me to do?”

“Maybe not start dating other women.”

“I didn’t. I explained…” There was no point going over that again. “I should have talked to you about my worries. I should have been honest.”

“And I shouldn’t have left.”

In the silence, the wheels rumbled down the highway, mile after mile. And there was no going back.

As much as he wanted to deny everything she’d said, he couldn’t. In retrospect, he’d blamed everything on her, but she was right. He had been so afraid she was going to leave him that maybe, probably, he’d pulled away. Built his walls, as his father called it. Protected himself.

And in doing so, hurt her.

“Eliza.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.” Sorrier than he could ever express. Could all of this have been prevented by a simple conversation? The question burned like acid.

“Hey, Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“Me too.”

“Okay, then.” They needed to move on. “They told you I was married.”

“I believed them because…well, because I’d always been jealous of Kylee.”

He’d known that much.

“And I started thinking that maybe you’d been in love with her for a long time, and maybe you were only with me because you felt guilty about what happened at my company. And maybe you’d been biding your time until you could break up with me without looking like a total jerk.”

“Why would you think those things?”

“Because you were too good for me. It was just a matter of time before you figured it out.”

“That’s your mother talking.” He reached across the console and took her hand. “I hope, if nothing else, being apart has gotten her out of your head.”

She didn’t answer that. Which meant, probably not.

“Can I ask you a question?” She said nothing, but he saw her nod out of the corner of his eye. “Why didn’t you check for yourself? Call me or look at my Instagram or Facebook?”

“I wasn’t going to call you. I thought you were married. And we weren’t allowed to get on social media.”

“You weren’t allowed?” He took his hand back. “What do you mean?”

“It’s all so obvious in retrospect, Sam, but at the time, it made sense. Jed believed—and I think he’s right—that half the women’s problems were related to social media. It can be really damaging, so he banned all social media at The Ranch. And he monitored everything online. I didn’t mind not being connected anymore. I felt at peace there. Like I’d left all my problems in Maine.”

“Nice to know I was just some…problem you could walk away from.” And there he went, right back to the bitter tone. “Sorry. I shouldn’t—”

“I’m not defending myself. Just explaining.”