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“I need to be alone, Lizzie.”
I shot her a look as she threw up her hands in mock surrender.
“I hear ya. I’m goin’. Call me if ya—you know. If ya need anythin’.”
I waited until the front door shut behind her, then I crumpled to the floor.
CHAPTER 34
CALEB
I was itching for Katie to walk into work. She was going to be in her office all day, which meant we’d be close. I jiggled my leg with anticipation of hearing those heels click across the floor, and once I heard her I went running for the door. There she was, in a beautiful summer dress and low flip-flop heels. Her blonde hair was tumbling down beside her face, and I could tell she had makeup all down her neck to try and conceal the evidence of Saturday.
It made me grin as she walked down the hall.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” I said with a grin.
She whipped her head up and stopped just shy of me like she was trying to keep her distance. I walked over to her and threaded my arm around her waist, but when I tried to kiss her, she pulled away. I felt anxiety flood my veins as my eyes searched hers, waiting for them to land on mine so I could get a read on her.
But she kept her gaze bouncing around, and it made me worried.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Talk ta me, Katie.”
“Just got a lot on my mind is all,” she said.
“Then talk ‘bout it. It’s what I’m here for. It’s what we’re all here for.”
“Actually, I think I should talk to all of you guys at once, so it diminishes the number of times I have to say it,” she said.
It was something in the tone of her voice that turned my blood cold. I told her to stay there and not move a muscle, then I went in search of my brothers. I pulled Dylan from his office and found Andrew sipping on some coffee. I ran all the way out to the stables and told Wyatt something was wrong with Katie. He moved faster than I’d ever seen him, charging up the hill and leaving me in his dust.
Then, when we were all gathered, I pulled us all into the break room.
“What’s goin’ on, doll?” Dylan asked. “Why do ya look so upset?”
“I can’t do this,” Katie said.
I felt my heart drop to my toes as each one of my brother’s faces sunk.
“Whaddaya mean ‘ya can’t do this’?” Andrew asked.
“This. This thing between all of us. I can’t do it,” Katie said.
“Why not?” Wyatt asked. “What changed from the phone call we had yesterday?”
“This is all a huge mistake,” Katie said as she shook her head.
“You know damn good and well it isn’t,” I said. “Now talk to us, Katie. We talked to you.”
“No, you didn’t,” she said. “You talked behind me many times before I had the chance to talk for myself.”
“Is that what this is about?” Dylan asked. “Because whatever we gotta do to make it up to ya, we will.”
“Don’t do this,” Wyatt said. “Don’t do this now, Katie. Not when we’re all in so deep.”
“None of this should’ve ever taken place. It was a bad decision made in a very emotional state. I should’ve listened to Whitney and Lizzie’s warnings.”
“I don’t give a shit what your friends think,” I said. “I love you, Katie. And I ain’t leavin’ this without a fight.”
