AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m taking you to the rehearsal dinner.”
“The hell you are,” she said, unfastening her seat belt, pressing her lips together before grabbing her purse. “Actually, you know, this is perfect. No awkward goodbye between us. Just hard words. Over and done.”
“George, don’t.”
“No, it’s better this way. Easier.” She unlocked the passenger door.
“Aw, come on, I’m sorry for bringing it up. Don’t ruin our last few days together.”
She whipped her head around and glared at him. “I told you not to do this. We were about sex, not forever. You knew that, and now you’re ruining everything. Don’t you get it? I have a life back in Boston. It’s what I always wanted.” Her words stumbled a bit on that last sentence, but the fire in her eyes never wavered.
He swallowed his own anger and focused instead on the fear lurking in the depths of those brown eyes. Yeah, it was there behind the defensiveness, behind the outrage. Again, he remembered the abused dog that had crept up to his door.
He’d coaxed it into taking some food and water, buying himself a bite when he tried to put a leash on the poor creature. He’d spent a month of soft words, patiently waiting before the dog trusted him enough to stay.
Georgia was just like Mojo.
He’d rushed things and now his heart bore the teeth marks of her rejection.
“Okay, baby, if this is what you want,” he said with a nod. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
She nodded and swung the door open. “Don’t call me baby. This is how it had to end, so what does it matter?”
And then she climbed out, her back straight, her chin jutting out.
Jesus.
He’d screwed up. “Guess it doesn’t.”
“Yeah, thanks for...” She paused as a choking noise emerged. She cleared her throat, swallowing hard, her gaze firmly on the front door of the Imperial. Reaching in, she pulled out her suitcase. “Goodbye, Reed.”
She didn’t wait for his response. Instead she slammed the door shut and stalked back up the steps of the hotel, presenting a ramrod-straight back to him.
Reed closed his eyes, refusing to believe what had just happened.
He’d rolled the dice and crapped out.
What had she said? Over and done.
He shifted into reverse and backed out, tossing a final glance at her yellow backside disappearing through the door of the hotel. His heart ached as soul-sucking emptiness enveloped him.
Over and done.
Chapter Thirteen
Georgia tugged on the faded Juicy Couture sweatpants and jerked on a polar fleece pullover. She waited by the back door as Claire found her boots, and Mary Catherine rifled through the liquor cabinet.
Just like old times.
Except tomorrow Mary Catherine would marry Brad.
And a slim Claire Bear had revealed earlier that she and Tyler were together... and in love.
And Georgia had crashed and burned with Reed. FUBAR wasn’t even the acronym for what she’d managed to do.
No, not like old times at all.
“Bingo!” Mary Catherine crowed, pulling out a bottle of Jose Cuervo.
