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Zach’s phone vibrated on the nightstand by her bed. Neither glanced that way, but she knew he was pulling away from this situation.
“Being with you was more than I thought I’d ever have.” His eyes held hers, but he didn’t reach for her like she’d hoped. “For a short time I let myself believe I could have a life with you, that loving you would be enough. But seeing you with your parents . . . I won’t be the one to come between you guys and I can’t love you in all the ways that you deserve. I would damn well try, but . . .”
The phone vibrated again and this time he went for it. When he answered, she could tell it was Liam on the other end. Sophie turned from the room and walked out. She couldn’t be in there. Couldn’t see him in her bedroom knowing he’d never be back.
She headed to her living room and stared out the wide front window. The sun was so bright and beautiful, totally opposite of all the hurt and darkness that had settled deep into her heart.
Zach’s heavy footsteps hit the hardwood, growing louder as he approached. From the corner of her eye, she saw him in the foyer, standing in the doorway to the living room. Silence settled between them. A new level of fear weighed heavy in her heart.
“I know you think you need to go,” she said without turning. “But know this. I gave you ten years. I waited for you to come around for so long that I’m exhausted. If you walk out that door, if you leave with the knowledge that we love each other and this ending is all on you, then don’t come back. You won’t be welcome in my life again, Zach.”
Her voice cracked. The words gutted her in ways losing her ability to have children never had, but she had to be honest. She couldn’t do this again . . . not when she’d come so close to having everything she’d ever wanted.
“I know.” His soft tone filled with angst sliced through her heart. “I’ll always love you, Soph. But there’s only so much I can give, and in the end, it wouldn’t be enough.”
Sophie whirled around. “You’re a coward.”
He stood still for only a moment before nodding and turning away. The front door opened and closed, leaving her broken and destroyed.
* * *
“How long will he be pissed?”
Zach spun around and slammed his wire cutters on the island. “I’m not pissed.”
Brock jerked as Liam settled a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Damn it.” Zach rested his palms on the old counter and dropped his head between his shoulders. “I’m frustrated, okay. That’s all. It’ll pass.”
Yeah, and he was going straight to hell for lying. He was pissed, beyond pissed, actually. He was a raging ball of pain, fury, and rage all rolled into one, and he only had himself to blame for getting caught up in some damn fairy tale, thinking he and Sophie could actually have something normal. They weren’t normal people.
“This have anything to do with Sophie?” Liam asked.
Didn’t everything? Years ago he’d started weaving his life around her and now he was so damn caught up, he had no clue how the hell to break free. He’d walked out of her house yesterday—the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life. She’d issued the ultimatum, and he’d had no choice but to call her on it and leave.
He’d been in a mood since, except for when Braxton’s lawyer called to say a judge would hear an emergency case for Brock on Monday. But he couldn’t sit home today. He couldn’t be at his house and not see Sophie in the kitchen, Sophie petting the puppies, Sophie in his bed.
“This wiring is done.” Zach pushed off the island and turned toward the wall in question. “We can start on these walls today if you guys are up for it.”
“You’re avoiding the subject,” Liam stated. “What the hell happened with Sophie? She hasn’t been by at all yesterday or today.”
The dead-last thing he wanted to talk about was this situation with Sophie. Liam and Braxton would give him hell . . . a place he deserved. Zach turned back to his brother, knowing he couldn’t keep this truth hidden.
“I doubt she’ll be coming by, at least for a while.” If at all. Maybe when Zach wasn’t there, but that would be very infrequently.
Brock’s wide eyes darted between Zach and Liam. “Don’t start fighting.”
Liam shook his head. “We won’t. But I want to know what you did.”
“We’re not seeing each other anymore.” Damn, that killed him to say, but it would get easier as time went on . . . wouldn’t it? “I’m not sure she’ll want to be here with me.”
Liam muttered a curse and smacked his hand against the countertop. “Are you for real? What the hell happened? That woman has been in love with you for years, and now you’re not seeing each other? I want to kick your ass, but I can already see you’re miserable.”
Well, that was something. “Drop it, Liam. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Zach’s cell vibrated in his pocket. At one time he would have jumped to answer, hoping it was Sophie. Now he only answered hoping it was work-related, because he wanted to completely submerge himself in projects and not think of anything else.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he saw Macy’s name and relaxed.
