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That sounds ominous. Quickly, I run my fingers through my hair in an effort to tidy it. “All right. Come in.”
The door opens, and Connor walks in. He has changed out of his suit and into a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt that hugs his chest and arms. Obviously, Connor works out.
I return to my window view, needing to avoid looking at temptation. “What is it?”
The mattress dips as he sits beside me. “We need to talk, Ken.”
I close my eyes. “I asked you not to call me that.”
“Why not? You always liked it before.”
Because it hurts too much.“Just don’t. Please.”
He sighs. “All right.Kennedy, we need to talk.”
My stomach knots. “About what?”
“About what happened to us. That conversation is long overdue, and it’s time we had it.” When he reaches for my hand and links our fingers together, his touch sends shivers up my arm. “Please, tell me what I did wrong.”
What he did wrong?My throat tightens painfully. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I told you it wasn’t your fault.”
“Pardon me if I don’t believe you. Why else would you have left me? I must have fucked up somehow. Was it because I talked of marriage? Was that it? Did I scare you off? I promise I wouldn’t have pressured you into marrying me if you didn’t want to.”
“Oh, my god, no.” I turn to face him, my heart breaking because he’s putting all this guilt on himself. “Connor, I swear, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
He frowns, looking truly baffled. “Then what happened?”
“I left you a note.”
“A note that explained absolutely nothing.‘This isn’t going to work. It’s not your fault, it’s mine.’What the hell, Kennedy? What was that supposed to mean?”
“I was trying to protect you!”
“Protect me fromwhat?” He smacks his hand against his solid chest. “Do I look like I need protecting?”
“Back then, yes. There were things you didn’t know.”
“Such as?” he pleads. “Explain it to me, because the guilt I feel is eating me alive. I was bloody crazy about you, Ken.” He stops abruptly. “No, I wasin lovewith you. If you didn’t feel the same, you should have told me.”
My eyes pool with tears, and my voice comes out little more than a whisper. “Of course I cared about you.”
“Youcaredabout me? That’s it? You didn’t love me?”
“That’s not what I meant. Yes, I loved you.”
“You loved me? Really?” He sounds skeptical. “Then why did you break my heart?”
The pain in his voice shatters me all over again. “Connor, I—” But the words catch in my throat.
“What? Tell me, for god’s sake, Ken.” He squeezes my hand. “Explain it to me, because I can’t make any sense of it.”
“They never would have accepted me!” The words burst out of me, and immediately I regret them. I never wanted him to know. It would break his heart.
“Who wouldn’t have? What are you talking about?”
“Your family.”
He shakes his head in disbelief. “That’s ridiculous. My mother thinks you’re wonderful. She’s told me as much on numerous occasions. Even now, she still asks about you.”
