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“No.” A condensation cloud forms from her long exhale.
I grab her by the hips and lift her into the cab before she has a chance to climb on the step bar.
Once the engine rumbles to life, I blast the heat. “You should eat something.”
Her nose scrunches. “I will.”
Message received loud and painfully clear.
“Is this your plan, then?” My question packs a bite.
Her brows scrunch. “What?”
“Push me away because you’d rather avoid your feelings about us.”
“I—I don’t know.”
“I think you do.”
Her nostrils flare. “Since you know everything, why don’t you go ahead and say what I’m thinking?”
“I don’t need to be a mind reader to know you’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid, Julian. I’m fuckingterrified.”
My forehead creases from my furrowed brows.
“I don’t want to fall in love with you.”
My ragged breath matches hers.
“I don’t want to fall in love with anyone.Period. It nearly destroyed me the last time, and I’m not sure I could survive that kind of pain again.” Her voice cracks toward the end. “You deserve someone who trusts you, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that when I can’t trust myself.”
The twinge in my chest morphs into full-blown heartache. “I can’t take back the pain you went through, no matter how much I wish I could, but I can promise to never hurt you like he did.”
“A little too late for that.” She can’t hold my gaze for more than a second.
“Dahlia.” I cradle her chin despite the pain lacing through my chest. “I’m not going to give up because you expect me to.”
“Because you like a challenge?”
“Because I likeyouenough to know you’re worth fighting for.”
She stares out the window. “I’m moving back to San Francisco in January for my new show.”
I’m aware, seeing as I spent the last few hours in a jail cell processing the fact.
But what are you going to do about it?
Somehow, in a short span of time, I went from planning the rest of my life in Lake Wisteria to putting everything on the line for the woman beside me. Because if Dahlia wants to move back to San Francisco, then I plan on going with her, andno amount of cons in the world will stop me.
I reach for her clenched hand. “When we break the news to my mom about moving, do me a favor and tell her you’re in love with me. It’ll help soften the blow.”
Her cloudy eyes tug at something in my chest. “You can’t seriously be considering moving.”
“I am.”
“But what about your company?”
