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"That's because I need to work off steam." A joyless laugh escaped his mouth. "Grady and Scarlet know when I'm bothered by that simple action."
"Why not just tell them?"
"Because it's not how I operate." Kaleb pulled off the highway and drove toward the town. "I can't always express how I feel."
"Believe me, I know," Cinnamon mumbled.
Kaleb's lips turned down. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just that I didn't know how you felt unless you were dictating what we were going to do."
"Dictating?" Kaleb opened his mouth to argue some more, then he closed it. He clenched his jaw so tight he thought he'd break a tooth.
"Yes." Cinnamon shifted in the seat and faced him as he pulled into her driveway. "You told me what we were going to do without even asking my opinion."
Turning the car off, Kaleb counted to ten in his head. He needed the few seconds to calm down and figure out what the woman was talking about. Less than twenty minutes before, she smiled at him and touched his hand. Suddenly, she was sitting next to him, picking a fight.
"I don't recall ever doing that to you."
"Really?" Cinnamon's eyebrows shot up so high, he thought they'd take permanent residence in her hairline.
"Yes, really. What are you talking about?"
"The day you ended our relationship." Cinnamon pointed her finger at him. "You gave me no choice. You just broke up with me."
"It was for the best," Kaleb answered, even though he knew deep down that wasn’t true.
"Was it?" Cinnamon crossed her arms. "You may not have been aware, but when your parents died, it practically destroyed me."
"What?" Kaleb whispered. "Why?"
Anger flashed in her eyes. "Because they were like my parents. They welcomed me, loved me more than my own. I thought we'd be able to grieve together, to help each other. Instead, you left me to deal with it all alone."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Cinnamon threw her hands in the air. "Would it have made a difference?"
Kaleb let her question run around his mind. Would it have? "No. I don't think it would've."
"That's why I didn't say a word."
Kaleb massaged his temples. What had he done? Ruined his relationship with the best person in the world as well as hurt her more than he ever thought possible. It's no wonder she avoided him for so many years. What he wouldn't give to take it all back and make better decisions. Unfortunately, it was too late, and he'd already lost her.
Chapter Fourteen
The anguish in Kaleb's eyes undid Cinnamon. Her frustration dissipated like dew on a hot summer's day. "I'm sorry."
Kaleb's forehead dipped. "For what? You didn't do anything wrong."
Cinnamon shook her head. "That's not true. I should've told you how I felt, even if I knew nothing would've changed."
Kaleb dropped his arm on the back of the seat. His lips flattened into a straight line, as if contemplating her words and his next sentence. "I suppose we both made mistakes. I apologize for making the decision for you. I was wrong to do that."
Cinnamon clasped her hands in front of her, lowering her eyes. Everything within her wanted to forgive him, confess her feelings, and see if they might make it work between them. Was it the right time? Scarlet confessed Kaleb hadn't changed. But if she didn't say anything, wasn't she still doing the same thing she did when they were dating?
"Scarlet said something the other day," Cinnamon began, her voice shaking. Why was she nervous? This was Kaleb. She'd known him her entire life. Filling her lungs with a calming breath, she continued, "She said that you were the same as when we were together."
Kaleb snorted. "I hope that's not true." His brow furrowed even more. "Did she say in what way?"
