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For an hour, I watched him sleep, grateful for the extra minutes to think of the words I had to say to him to force him to leave. It wouldn’t be easy. He would argue, and I hoped he did. I didn’t want this to be easy. It was one of the hardest things I would ever do in my life. My heart was already aching with the words that would have to come from my mouth.
Would he believe me when I told him I didn’t love him? Would he walk away without trying to find out why I had a change of heart? Would he suspect the words spoken were lies?
Yes. All three. But he would walk away because he respected my wishes and loved me too much to upset me further.
I hated that I was right.
When he woke, I told him to leave, that I didn’t love him, and we were done. Barely holding it together, I clenched my hands behind my back so he didn’t see the tremor.
“Go, Country. Don’t come back.”I love you. Never doubt it.
He was agitated and pissed and concerned. His brown eyes revealed the pain he felt. “I’ll give you some time, but this isn’t over.”
I didn’t reply. I couldn’t open my mouth because it would betray me if I did. My lips refused to lie a second time.
Before Country left, he paused to place a kiss on top of my head. “My love for you will never die. Remember that. I’m here. Always.”
Truly. Madly. Deeply.
The words he said the night he first told me he loved me echoed in my head. They pulsed inside my chest, desperate to be set free. I had to shove them down.
I held it together until Country reached the front door. When it opened, I fell apart, crying my broken heart into my pillow.
Chapter 9
Eight months later—
“Fuck,” I shouted, kicking at one of the exterior walls outside The Crossroads, pissed off like I had been for most of the last eight months.
All because of Heather and the secret she kept from everyone, including her father and cousin.
“Hey, we’re gonna figure this out,” Jigsaw promised. “She can’t keep us both out much longer. Something has to give.”
I gave him a look, proving I didn’t agree.
“We’re wearing her down.”
