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“Why are you here?” I snap it this time.
The corner of his mouth twitches and my anger flares.
I push up and stride around the desk to face him. He’s still so much taller than me, but at least this way he’s not lording over me.
“I saw you,” I shove my finger into his chest. “And I know you saw me, seeing you.”
Beckett doesn’t back away. He leans in, increasing the pressure on my fingertip. “And what did you see?”
This prick.
“I saw you! With her!” my voice cracks and I snap my mouth shut.
I start to drop my hand away, but Beckett traps it with his own, flattening my palm to his chest.
He lowers the volume of his voice, “And that makes you mad?”
His calm demeanor is making this whole thing worse. He’s acting like it’s no big deal, like none of this matters. And me… I can’t pretend it doesn’t matter. I’ve tried. But I can’t.
Heat builds behind my eyes and I blink.
Not wanting, or needing, to explain myself, I ask him again, “What are you doing here?”
I hate that the fight has left my tone, leaving nothing but disappointment and sadness in its wake.
“I’m here for the Science Fair,” his large hand tightens around mine. “My nephew is a third grader here, and he’s very excited to show me his mealworms.”
Nephew?
Beckett nods at my unspoken question, “The woman you saw me with, that’s my cousin, Natasha. And that was her son, Clint. I call him my nephew, because I don’t actually know what you’re supposed to call your cousin’s kid.”
“She’s your cousin?” I repeat, needing to hear it again.
He nods, his free hand reaching out, palming the back of my neck. “Cousin. Family.”
She was his cousin.
Could it really be that easy?
“You’re single?” I ask.
Beckett nods, “I’m single.”
Am I this lucky? Was last night honestly one of those it isn’t what it looks like moments?
“No girlfriend?”
The edge of his mouth pulls into a smirk, “Nope.”
I want to believe him. I want to believe him so badly.
“Wife?”
He shakes his head, “No wife.”
“Dating anyone?” I whisper.
It feels like he’s telling me the truth, but I can’t leave any questions unasked. I won’t be able to deal with this sort of heartache again.
