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Broken
AfterZanelefther alone in the guest room again, Maggie slipped out of the dress and unfastened the tiny hooks on the corset, dropping both to the ground. She hadn’t expected the warm hand on her waist and the kiss. That kiss on the top of her spine. She’d thought she was going to melt into a puddle right then and there She thought maybe he was going to forgive her but then the warmth at her back disappeared along with his hands. He’d left her without a backwards glance.
She took a deep, cleansing breath and dug through her big pink tote. She found a pair of soft black leggings and a pink heathered T-shirt that said “BOSS BABE” across the front. It wasn’t something she would have ever bought for herself, but it was a gift from Dani – another of her attempts at affirmation. She usually pulled it out when she wanted to hang around the house and feel comfortable. Tonight, Maggie donned it like armor over the remains of her tattered heart. She moved to the ensuite and scrubbed the party make up from her face. She didn’t bother to reapply even mascara or lip gloss. As she gazed at herself in the mirror, she realized she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had seen her without make-up other than her brother. After everything that had happened tonight, she couldn’t find the effort to care if Zane thought she was ugly now. It’s how she felt inside anyway. She pulled the bobby pins out of her hair and gathered the Chestnut locks into a messy bun at the top of her head. She spent only a couple of minutes shoving everything into bags not caring for once in her life if things got wrinkled or messed up in some way. She just needed to get out of there and get home where she could lick her wounds in private.
She gathered up her pink tote and her dress bag in her arms, pulling her small suitcase behind her and headed toward the living room. “I’m ready.”
Zane was standing in the living room facing the twinkling city skyline. He stood there a beat after she spoke without turning, his arms across his chest, the fabric of his T-shirt pulled tight against the muscles of his back. She saw him visibly flinch at her voice and another piece of her shattered heart fell away. He turned slowly to face her.
His eyes widened and he was immediately caught like a deer in headlights, unable even to breathe, as he took her in. He didn’t know how it was possible, but she was even more stunning standing there in leggings and a T-shirt, her hair a mess on the top of her head and her face bare. He’d never seen her like this. She looked younger and vulnerable, not like the always in control businesswoman he had gotten to know over the last few months. He had a sudden need to protect her from anything that might hurt her. She was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Even thinking she was more beautiful like this, natural and casual, he felt somehow ashamed that he’d had a hand in bringing her to a point where she seemed so defeated. He could tell her eyes were red, her lovely face, blotchy from crying.
He shook himself out of his fog and crossed the living room to take the bags from her arms. “Here, I’ll take those.” She gave them up without a whisper of argument and they were soon in the car again, on the road back to Gladewater.
In the Audi, the silence soon became overwhelming, and Zane clicked on the radio to fill the void. Take Care by Drake came through the speakers. Zane wanted to drop his head to the steering wheel. An anthem about trust and taking care of someone despite their baggage. Is the universe sending me a message here? He hazarded a glance at Maggie. This wasn’t her type of music, he knew, but he wondered if she would hear the lyrics through the R&B beat. He recognized the minute she did. She tensed visibly and she started worrying a perfectly manicured nail with her front teeth. Their eyes locked for a brief moment. The strobe of the street lights illuminating their faces for a final few seconds before they left the city behind.
The heat of his ire had banked on the long drive back to Maggie’s house. Zane still didn’t know how they were going to make things work if she wouldn’t trust him, but he knew he couldn’t let her go. Not yet. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as they had left the city lights behind. Her head rested against the glass of the window, her hands tucked under her cheek as if in prayer. She looked so peaceful, so different than she had looked when they had left his condo. He reached out a hand to gently stroke her cheek, hating to wake her from her peaceful slumber.
“Maggie, we’re back,” he said softly. He saw her plush lips quirk up slightly as she rubbed against his hand on her face. A second later, however, her eyes opened and he saw the memory of the evening come crashing down.
“Oh, I must have fallen asleep. Sorry.” She straightened herself and her hand reflexively went to tuck hair behind her ears.
“No worries. I’m glad you got some rest. I’ll get your bags,” he said, undoing his seat belt and climbing out of the Audi.
They met on the sidewalk, and she took her pink bag from his hand and slung it over her shoulder. He followed her up to the front porch and laid her luggage down at her feet. She stared at them, not having any idea what to say. She wrapped her arms around her middle. Zane lifted her chin to look at him. His eyes were molten gold in the porch light.
“I’m not going to pretend I’m not hurt by your lack of faith in me, but I know you were hurt tonight as well and I’m sorry for any part I might have inadvertently played in that.” She opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her. “No, don’t say anything right now. I think we’ve said enough for tonight. I want you to know, though, I still care about you, and I hope we can work this out.” With that, he wrapped his arms around her and placed a long kiss on the top of her head. Maggie watched him retreat to his car, leaving her on the porch, unsure of what to do next.
The door behind her opened. JT stood behind her, obviously awakened by the car leaving. HIs hair was touseled and he wore only a pair of basketball shorts. “Maggie?” he asked suspiciously. “What’s going on? I didn’t think you’d be back until tomorrow.”
She turned and buried herself in her brother’s arms. “Oh, JT, I may have broken us beyond repair. What’s wrong with me?” He held her as she sobbed.
.
