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Speechless, all he could do was stand there.
“You’ll never be enough, because you don’t believe you’re enough. Forget what the world would say about you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a pop star, a rock star, or just some guy walking down the street. You’ve already decided who you are and what you are.” She touched the hem of the T-shirt. “I should have known better.”
“Known better about what?”
But he knew what was coming.
“Trusting my heart with another musician.”
He couldn’t take any more. “It’s not musicians, Harper. It’s you. You think that if you cut something out of your life, it can’t hurt you. If you take no risks, you’ll never get burned, but you’ll also never do anything more than teach kids online from behind a mask.” He swiped the business card from the table and pressed it into her hand. “You heard the call. This is for you—for when you’re ready to embark on your career.” He pointed to the phone. “Make the damn call. I’m not stopping you.”
He hadn’t meant to be so cruel, but her accusations had hit too close to home. They echoed his worst fears about himself and triggered a jagged response.
It was as if they were standing in the eye of a hurricane. Chaos and destruction surrounded them as an eerie silence descended on the room. He held his wife’s gaze, knowing he should say something, but he couldn’t find the words.
Perhaps silence was better.
It kept them from pouring salt into their wounds.
“Landon,” she breathed, and a kernel of hope formed in his chest. He took a step toward her, longing to hold her in his arms and promise they’d never talk of what had transpired in this room, when a sharp knock cut her off.
The door opened, and the housekeeper peered into the room. “A courier is here, sir. A taxi pulled up. He says you have papers for him.”
He glanced at the damned contract. “Tell him to go.”
“No,” Harper countered and took a few steps toward the door. “Tell the taxi to wait.”
He stared at his wife. “For what?”
“For me. Goodbye, Landon.”
Goodbye?
His thoughts spiraled. His stomach dropped. His world descended into chaos.
“You’re leaving now? What about your things? Where will you go?”
“To the airport, and then to my home—or at least my home for the next handful of days, depending on who wins the third challenge.”
He raked his hands through his hair. “Harper, don’t leave. We can work this out. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”
“Spoken what you believed about me?” she supplied, and his heart sank. She turned to the housekeeper. “Can you get my purse for me and meet me at the door?”
He stared out the window at the pouring rain. “What am I supposed to say to Aria?”
Christ, he’d ruined everything.
“We were leaving tomorrow, as it is. Tell her something came up and I had to return to Denver a little earlier.”
“Just stay the night, and we’ll leave together as planned.”
“I can’t stay. Tell Aria I left early to visit my grandmother, or tell her there was a tutu and lollipop convention I couldn’t miss. Tell her whatever excuse you want, but let her know that I love her, and I’ll see her soon.”
“As her aunt?” He had to know the extent of separation she was talking about.
She stared at the business card. “I don’t know.”
Like the damned bonbon box, his world was collapsing in on him.
“I never used you, Harper. I’ll fix the contract. Don’t walk out that door. I love you,” he pleaded.
“Maybe you think you do, but I’ve been burned by love like this.”
“Harper…” he rasped. “I never meant to hurt you.”
She resurrected that sad ghost of a grin. “How about this, heartthrob? I double-dog dare you to prove me wrong.”
