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I turn and busy myself with folding the small pile of towels I’d washed yesterday. I paste a smile on my face, but I can’t meet his gaze.
“Fine,” I say. “I was just in a hurry.”
“For your early client,” he says.
“Exactly.” I nod.
“Harlow.”
The way he says my name makes me pause in my folding.
“Look at me, please.”
I feel my resolve crumble as I turn to look at Linc. “Why does it feel like you’re putting distance between us? Things have been weird since yesterday. Will you tell me why? Or tell me I’m crazy. But tell me something.”
I feel my throat tighten painfully.Oh, no. Don’t you dare cry right now.I clear my throat and swallow hard. I can’t lie to him. And clearly, I can’t hide what I’m feeling behind a fake smile. Linc’s too perceptive for that.
“I heard about Ella being bullied at school,” I say.
Linc sighs and his shoulders drop. “Where did you hear about that?”
“Does it matter? It wasn’t from you.” I want to call the words back as soon as they’re out. It’s not fair of me, and we both know it.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “That’s not fair.”
Linc shakes his head. “Don’t be. You’re right.”
“No, I’m not,” I say. “I have no right to ask you to include me on things like that. I’m not her mom. And we’re not—”
“Don’t.” Linc’s command is harsh and loud, cutting off whatever I’d been about to say. “Don’t finish that sentence,” he says. “I want to include you when it comes to Ella. I want to include you when it comes to every part of our lives. I’m sorry I didn’t. I just didn’t know how to deal with it myself. And since it was about—”
“Me and you?” I finish when he trails off.
He nods. “Yeah. I didn’t want you to think our being together was somehow harming Ella. I should have told you. But she asked me not to. So, I kept it from you. And I shouldn’t have.”
“She asked you not to tell me?” Why? Does Ella not want me in her life?
He nods. “She said she didn’t want you to feel bad. She knew you’d be upset and think it was your fault.”
I close my eyes on a sigh. “She was trying to protect me?”
He nods. “I argued against it. I didn’t want to keep anything from you. She convinced me to let her tell you herself. But then she chickened out. I talked to her again this morning. She’s planning to talk to you later today. And if she didn’t, I would have.”
“Really?”
Sweet Ella was trying to protect me after she’d been bullied. That sounds like something she would do. I feel stupid for being so upset, but I can’t help the doubts swirling around in my head. If Linc and I weren’t together, Ella wouldn’t have been bullied to the point that she just got suspended from school. I hate myself for asking, but I can’t help it.
“Do you regret this thing between us?” I ask, asking the question I’m not sure I want the answer to. “Just the thought of someone being mean to Ella because of something I did breaks my heart. I can’t imagine how you feel. I understand if you want to end things. It’s only been a month, after all.” My words come out fast and jumbled, panicky.
“Don't.” Linc’s voice is a low, harsh whisper. “Don't do that. Don't push me away.”
“That’s not what I’m doing,” I say, picking up another towel. “I just think we need to think things over.”
“I don’t think we do,” Linc says, reaching for me. His hands come up to grip my arms, halting my movements.
“Look at me, Harlow.” I can’t ignore the low command in his voice. My eyes go to his face, and I take in the determined expression there.
“If you don't want this, don't want me, tell me that. Tell me now, and I'll let you go.”
