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“Come on, Boo,” I called. I grabbed her from the back seat and clutched her to my chest before reaching for the door handle.
This time, Jake didn’t try to stop me.
And he didn’t speak to me.
I welcomed the strong gusts of wind and sleet that hit my body as soon as I stepped outside. It was the perfect excuse to run to my cabin without looking back at Jake’s truck.
Because there was no way in hell I wanted Jake to know the real reason I was running or why I didn’t look back. The last thing I wanted was for him to know that he’d done to me what no one had managed to make me do since my parents kicked me out when I was sixteen.
Made me cry.
But the tears started before I reached my front door anyway. I managed to get inside and lock the door behind me before the torrent of sobs let loose, but unlike when I’d been a kid and suddenly found myself without a home or a family, this time I wasn’t completely alone.
I had my girl.
On cue, Boo began licking at my tears as I cuddled her against my chest.
“His loss, right?” I whispered. Boo cocked her head at me briefly, then began licking me again. But no amount of doggie kisses could hide the truth.
Because I was the one who’d come out the loser on this one… again.
Chapter 10
Jake
It was utter insanity to leave in the middle of a blizzard, but desperate men did stupid things, and I was more desperate than I’d ever been. If I didn’t get the fuck off this mountain, I probably never would… at least not while Oz was anywhere in the vicinity. Even now, it was all I could do not to go to his place and tell him I was sorry.
For the way I’d treated him.
For touching him.
For not touching him sooner.
I knew I’d hurt him last night yet again. But I’d been powerless to do any differently. There was just no way I could have let him leave my truck believing I didn’t think he was good enough for me. I’d known where things would lead, and I still hadn’t had the balls to stop it.
I’d just needed him too damn much.
Just one more kiss, one more touch.
But it hadn’t been enough.
It still wasn’t enough.
Even now as I started loading up my truck with my meager possessions, I couldn’t stop looking toward Oz’s cabin. I saw smoke rising from the chimney, so at least he’d managed to get a fire started. But what if the heat went out again? Xander had actually replaced both the circuit board and installed a new furnace in the cabin, but what if something else went wrong? I knew Oz wouldn’t come to me to ask for my help, not after last night. And he wouldn’t call Xander and Bennett during a storm, knowing full well they’d make the trek up the mountain to fix any issues. No, he’d be more likely to suffer in silence.
“Fuck,” I muttered to myself as I loaded my duffel bag in the truck and got it started. All I had left was my backpack. But instead of going to the cabin to get it, I trudged to Oz’s place. The wind and snow were whipping around, and the temperatures were close to single digits. With the windchill, it felt even colder.
I’d just make sure he had everything he needed and then I’d go. I wouldn’t even tell him I was leaving.
I knocked on his door loudly enough so I’d be heard over the wind and waited. Several long seconds later, I knocked again, even louder. My nerves began to kick up the longer I had to wait. Within a minute of my first knock, I was hitting the door so hard it was rattling.
“Oz, open up, it’s me. I just want to make sure you’re okay!” I called.
No answer.
I looked over my shoulder. Both his cars were there.
“Screw it,” I muttered, then tried the doorknob.
It gave, and I opened the door. “Oz,” I called as I rapped my knuckles on the door again. “It’s Jake.”
Nothing.
The cabin was warm, which was a relief, and there was a fire going. A wide assortment of fabrics were spread out all over the coffee table, couch, and kitchen table. Oz’s sketchbook where he drew his designs was sitting on the coffee table as well, along with a cup of coffee still warm to the touch.
But there was no sign of Oz.
Or Boo.
I hurried to the bedroom and felt my stomach drop out when I found it and the attached bathroom empty. I shook my head even as the realization hit me.
“No,” I whispered to myself, then I was running for the front door.
He’s just letting Boo out for a potty break. I must have missed him between trips to my car.
