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“Of course I wasn't, why would I be?” He closed the distance between them. “The woman I love was welcoming me back into her arms! How could I walk away from that, from you? And youknewI wouldn't. So now I need to know—was last night a sign that maybe,maybeyou're considering giving me another chance? Or was it just a way for you to get me out of your system for good, so that you can say goodbye and not look back?”
She risked a glance at him. “I don't–I can't answer that. I don't know.”
He sighed, and his voice lowered. “Okay.”
Elizabeth heard the sliding door open, but Will blocked her view of it.
“Elizabeth?”
Her stomach fell. “Right here,” she responded, and stepped into Jason’s view.
Jason's eyes left Will’s back and rested on her. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine. We're just talking.”
His gaze returned to Will. “Look, pal, maybe you should take a step back.”
Will turned around, eyebrows raised. “Thanks, pal.”
Jason's eyebrows furrowed. “I just think you're crowding her a little, that's all. Give her some space.”
Will chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, I’m working on that.”
Jason’s eyes went back to Elizabeth, and she nodded. “It’s okay. I’m fine, really.” He gave a quick nod and went back into the house.
“Who’s that?” Will asked.
She swallowed. “He's just one of the basin employees. Um, I have to go.”
“Now?”
“Yes. I have a work meeting in a little while. We have a lot to do this week.”
“Okay.” He reached up to rub his face with one hand. “Um, I'll be leaving soon. I have an early afternoon flight back to Boston.”
She nodded, unsure what to say.
“I really just came here to see you,” he said softly. “And no matter how you feel about it, I'm not sorry about last night. I can't be. As for everything else... You know how I feel, you know how sorr—”
“Stop, Will. Enough. I know you’re sorry. Iknow. But you have to give me some space. Let me work through this. When I want to talk to you,ifI want to talk to you, I'll let you know.”
“When.”
“If. Please don't push it.”
“I won't.”
He leaned closer to her, and she knew he wanted to kiss her—and she also knew she would let him.Just this one last time. It wasn't a deep, passionate kiss; it was soft and gentle and loving and entirely too brief.
“Bye, Lizzy.”
“Bye, Will.”
Her heart pounded as she said the words, and felt like it was breaking all over again.
Instead of going through the house, he walked off the deck, into the yard, and worked his way around to the front of the house. Elizabeth went in through the slider, and saw Jason walking out the front door.
Oh, no.
