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“No.”
“I’m fine,” I assured quietly.
“I can’t do this,” he declared.
“Do what?” I asked.
“This. Us. I’ve been meaning to end it with you for weeks. I should have done that when I first had the thought. It would have saved you having to go through last night.”
I didn’t move, not quite sure I heard him correctly.
“Now that you’re awake,” he went on, “I’m gonna get my shit and go. We made a deal you could stay here while your mom gets on her feet. I’m honoring that deal. You can stay as long as you need. Just inform Brandi when you’re able to go back to Brooklyn.”
Wait.
Was he…?
Was hebreaking up with me?
My voice was trembling when I admitted, “I’m not sure I’m following.”
“We’re done, Elz,” he stated, like he was telling me it was raining. “It was great. You’re great. We had some good times. But I have shit I have to do. I can’t be taking care of cats or responsible for women getting slashed by my stalkers—”
“Hale—”
He shook his head. “No, Elsa. You knew it wasn’t going to be a thing when we started. We both knew. Last night just motivated me to stop fucking around because I like you.”
“If you like me, then I don’t understa—”
“It isn’t going to go anywhere. I’m not that guy.”
“You’re not that guy,” I whispered.
He stared at me.
“You’ve known for weeks you wanted to end it and you’re doing it,”—I lifted my bandaged hand and arm—“now?”
He flinched. “Not good timing, sweetheart, but—”
Oh, fuck no.
“Don’t call me sweetheart. And I’m not staying here.”
“We made a deal.”
I leaned into the island and shrieked, “Fuck our deal!”
Hale closed his mouth.
“You’re right,” I snapped. “I knew. I knew from the beginning. In fact, for weeks, all the signals you were giving me, not, incidentally, signals that you wanted to end it, quite the opposite, but I knew, if I was smart, I’d be sure I was reading them right. I’d ask you. Ask you what was happening between us. I didn’t. My mistake. Because obviously, I wasn’t reading your signals right.”
“I really did enjoy—” he started.
And fuck no to that too.
“Fuck the words of platitude, Hale. But here are some words of advice. The next woman, be sure to keep her in tune with where you’re at so she doesn’t fuck up royally and fall in love with you.”
On that, I ignored the way his handsome face froze, left my coffee where it was, whirled and stormed to the stairs.
