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“There is always a fucking hard time!”

The words came louder than I intended. Caleb just stared at me. I turned away before my eyes betrayed me.

I walked toward the bathroom.

“Blair.”

I shut the door, locked it, and gripped the sink. “Fuck.”

That was some bullshit. My brain knew it immediately. Six months and I was still the woman standing, waiting for someone else’s husband to finish being needed at home.

My heart answered my brain. What if something is wrong? I hated myself for thinking it, but what if there was? What if she was spiraling? What if Caleb ignored her because of me and something happened? Could I live with that? Could he? Would every good thing between us be poisoned by the one night I asked him not to be needed by her?

The bathroom door rattled. “Blair.”

“Go away.”

“Open the door.”

“No.”

“Please.”

I unlocked it and Caleb came in. He looked worried and that hurt.

“I need to go check on her.”

My heart dropped. “Okay.”

“Blair—”

“Go.”

“I don’t want to leave you like this.”

I laughed. “Then don’t.”

I had said the ugliest version of the truth. Don’t go. Choose me. For once, make her wait.

Caleb looked down and I knew what he meant.

I nodded. “Exactly.”

“It’s not like that.”

He rubbed his hand over his face. “I need to make sure she’s okay.”

My mind screamed. Bullshit. My heart whispered. Please let her be okay.

A woman could be in trouble. And no matter how much I resented Ravenna’s existence in my relationship, I didn’t want something terrible to happen to her. That would’ve made everything real in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

“Go,” I whispered.

Caleb stepped toward me and I looked away.

His hand touched my cheek. “I’ll be back.”

“Okay.”