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When he tries to get by me again, I close the bedroom door and lean against it. “Stop. What were you going to say? You can’t leave until you tell me what you were going to say. Besides, I’m the one who’s leaving.”
“Fine, but I’m leaving first.”
“Not before you tell me what’s going on.”
His eyes flare, his jaw set. “Move, Olivia.”
I lift my chin. “Not until you tell me why you’re so angry.”
“No, because I’ve never lied to you and I’m not going to start now.”
“So don’t. Tell me anyway.”
He stares down into my eyes, a muscle in his cheek spasming. After a few moments, he looks away and blows out a breath. He rubs the back of his neck and finally looks at me.
His eyes are pained, and his voice is hoarse like he’s been screaming, emotions right at the surface.
“Olivia, I’m crazy about you. I’ve been crazy about you since I met you. I can’t count the times I’ve almost told you how stupid in love with you I am. I’ve written you letters, hoping I’d have the balls to mail them, but I just couldn’t. And last night…last night was the best night of my life. But I can see now that it was a mistake. I never should have agreed to this one-night bullshit, but I’ve never been able to say no to you. I thought I would be able to go back to how things were before, but when I look at you now…” He trails off, shaking his head slightly. “Well, you’ll have to bear with me. It’s going to take me a little longer to get back in the friend zone with you.”
My eyes are wide, and I have to swallow hard before I can speak. I rub my sternum, trying to soothe the pain that’s set up camp there. “Did you say you’re in love with me?”
“Yeah.”
My mind boggles. “Since…”
“Since we were fifteen.”
I shake my head, my heart ready to beat out of my chest. “No, that can’t be true. You had all those girlfriends. So many girlfriends…”
He cups my face in his hands so that I have to look into his eyes. “I gave my heart to you a long time ago. They never stood a chance because they weren’t you.”
And then he brushes past me and leaves.
I stand there, staring into space, swaying, before my knees give out and I sink down to the bed.
The bed where my best friend made love to me, where he worshipped my body with his for hours. Where he made me feel like I was the only woman in the world and special in a way no man has ever done.
My eyes fill with tears.
The town playboy, Caleb Wright, has been in love with me for almost twenty years.
And I never knew.
CHAPTER7
Olivia
By the time I pull it together and leave, Caleb’s car is long gone.
I want to go after him. Finding him wouldn’t be hard in this town. I know all the places he goes to hide out depending on his mood.
We need to hash this out until we’re back to being us.
Will we ever beusagain?
I swipe at the tears leaking out of my eyes. I haven’t cried in years. It’s part of what makes me good in the ER. I’m not cold, but tears are messy and make my eyes look like I’ve gone a round or twelve with Jose Cuervo.
But it appears I’m making up for lost time because I can’t make the waterworks stop.
