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“Eventually, you were going to meet someone, and they’d take up all your time. They’d resent our friendship and I’d slowly be reduced to just your lawyer, and then your husband wouldn’t like even that, so he’d ask you to fire me, and then…hey, what’s wrong?”
She was pushing him away frantically and he slipped reluctantly from her body, puzzled by the sudden change. Kelly reached over to turn the water off and left the shower, grabbing a towel from the linen closet.
“Hey, where are you going?” he asked, pulling his own towel from over the bar.
Kelly wrapped the towel around her body and turned around to face him, her features an angry mask. “You slept with me, so I wouldn’t date anyone else?”
“What? No. That’s not what happened. We got caught up in the moment and I”—her expression darkened and he realized he was only making things worse—“I don’t mean that either.”
“So, not only did you accidentally have sex with me, but you did it because you thought you would lose me?”
“No, Kelly, I wanted you. I still want you.”
She jerked back when he tried to reach for her again. “Do you? I mean, what do you want from me? You’ve had years to tell me that. But you wait until now, until another man is interested in me?”
The mention of Hank Townsend pissed him off. “This has nothing to do with him. I was afraid to go here with you because I didn’t want to risk what we have for something that won’t last.”
“Then why didn’t you just tell me that the other night? Instead, you made me think…hope, that there was something more between us.”
“There is, obviously! How can you deny it after the way we were together?”
Tears were pouring down Kelly’s cheeks now and he wanted to hold her, to erase the pain he’d caused but she wouldn’t let him near her. “I’m not talking about sex, Chris! I am talking about a future. You just admitted you weren’t sure if there was one here and you were scared to take the risk.”
“No one goes into a relationship thinking it’s going to fail, but with us, we have more at stake. You are everything to me Kelly, and if I screw this up…I can’t imagine my life without you.”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she wiped at her eyes. “So, you’re saying that you want me in your life, but you’re just not sure I can be your everything? I can be your friend, or I can be your lover, but I can’t be both?”
“I…” If he answered honestly, it was going to just make things worse, so he said nothing.
Kelly shook her head, and started gathering up her clothes. “You know, for a smart guy, you can be an idiot.”
“Kelly, come on.” He reached for her and she moved out of reach.
“Don’t touch me. Not right now. I need space.”
He backed up. “Okay.”
Chris watched her leave, carrying her clothes against her chest. Every cell in his body was screaming to go after her, but he couldn’t do that. If she needed time and space, he’d give it to her.
It was all he could do.
Chapter 22
The next day, Kelly sat at Rylie’s kitchen table, her arm held out for her to wrap. The adorable two-bedroom house Rylie rented was cozy, and warm, filled with knickknacks and decorations meant to make you feel comfortable. Kelly loved it here, especially because two of her favorite people were sitting with her.
Although, she wasn’t a huge fan of having her bandage changed, since it hurt like a real bitch today.
Marley Stevenson sat next to her, sipping her coffee and watching silently. Her blond hair was pulled back in a braid, and her French-tipped nails clicked against the mug as Rylie placed the sterile pad with the burn cream on her wound. It was worse today, itching like crazy, and the skin under the peeling blisters was bright red.
“Ow! Dammit, be gentle,” Kelly snapped.
Rylie took the gauze, holding the edge of the pad to keep it in place as she wound the medical supplies around her arm. “I am being gentle. You’re just being cranky.”
“You are kind of cranky,” Marley agreed.
“I am not.”
Marley set her mug down and clapped her hands. “Now, after that witty rejoinder, would you like to talk about what is really bothering you?”
