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She stiffened, a gasp tearing from her throat. Wade’s words stung. He’d managed to use the one thing against her that she hated about herself. She could accept her mistakes and move on from them. That was part of the growth she was working on.
Not only that, but she knew the only reason he was mad at her was because she had to push him away. It was for his own good.
Brielle scowled at him, wishing she could throw a few things back at him that would put him in his place. Being on this side of things was harder than she expected. But that was what someone did when they were in love.
She sucked in sharply, but this time it was because of the pain she felt growing in her chest. Her hand reached up and clutched at the place where her heart was, and she looked around the room in an attempt to avoid looking at Wade at all. The walls were bare, painted a glaring white that only emphasized the scuff marks from its use. There was a large window that offered a view of the main bullpen in the sheriff’s office. In their small room, there was one table with two chairs, and nothing else of interest.
Still, she didn’t want to look Wade in the eyes anymore. She had come here on strict business. Tad wasn’t even aware that she was here. There was no telling what he might do if he found out, so she had to make this quick.
Her voice softened and she traced small designs on the table with her finger. “Annabel stopped by to tell me that you were here. Imagine my surprise when I heard you got drunk and broke something at that bar.”
Wade huffed and then shifted in his seat. “That chair was probably older than I am. It was on its last leg anyway.”
“That doesn’t matter!” she snapped. “It’s property that doesn’t belong to you and you know better.”
“Do I?” Wade shook his head. “I’m the product of two people who got tired of raising the family they created. I was left to my own devices much of the time, and I barely made it out of that life alive. Maybe you overestimate me.”
Her eyes cut to meet his. “I didn’t overestimate anything. Whether you like it or not, I know you better than you probably know yourself.”
“Yeah, and I’m the professor of ethics at the University of Cambridge.” He leaned forward, placing both hands on the table. “I don’t even know why you bothered to come. They’re going to release me in a day or two anyway. It was disorderly conduct—”
“And you were drunk!” she reminded him. “This could have been so much worse. You should have never put yourself in that position. You’re a good guy, Wade—”
“If I’m such a good guy, then why did you pickhim?” Wade growled. “You don’t even know him. I’ve gone over it several times, and that just doesn’t make sense. The Brielle I know wouldn’t just settle—”
“No one said I’m settling,” she said softly.
“I am. Don’t you think that I can tell with things like this? Have you forgotten how good I am at reading you? I don’t know what it is, but something is off about how this whole thing happened.”
Brielle was cornered. Wade was right about that one thing. He was good at reading her and he could tell that she was keeping something from him. That meant it was only a matter of time before he dug up exactly what she was trying to protect him from. She held up a hand, hoping he wouldn’t continue with this ridiculous tangent. “I didn’t come here to talk about what happened between us. I came here to get you out so you can go home and take care of your family.”
“What family?” he said derisively. “They don’t care about me. The only one who does is Annabel, and even she betrayed me when she calledyou.”
Brielle flinched as Wade’s voice rose a few degrees.
“She’s worried about you. She loves you, Wade.”
“Yeah, well, she has a funny way of showing it.” Wade crossed his arms and stared out the window on the far side of their small room. “You should just go.”
“I’m not going until I get you out of here.”
“No thanks.”
“No thanks?” She stared at him, shock the only emotion that registered on the scale in her head. “What do you mean, no thanks?”
Wade didn’t look at her this time. He continued to stare at anything but her. “You heard me. I don’t want your help. I don’t care that Annabel called you either. I’ll leave here when they tell me to. I could use some alone time.”
Brielle slammed her hand on the table, finally drawing his focus. “No,” she finally mustered. “You’re not staying here because this is bigger than you and me. This is about you taking care of your family. We’re leaving as soon as I file that paperwork. Then you’re going to take some aspirin and suck it up enough to do your job.”
He leaned forward, his eyes flashing with a fury that matched her own. “No,” he whispered.
She let out an exasperated groan and growl that had merged together. “What is wrong with you?”
“How about you tell me that. You were the one who chose not to date me. This is on you, as far as I’m concerned. What is it, Bri? What is the one thing that Tad has that I don’t?”
First of all, he had the upper hand. But she wasn’t about to tell Wade that. Instead, she just leveled him with a stare that used to be enough to make the local cowboys shake in their boots.
But not Wade.
