“You love him. At least listen to him.”
“I heard what he had to say.”
“You didn’t hear anything past he came for you. That’s so out there it might as well be raining alien space babies.”
Teela was already at the door to her office. Maybe Haydn stubbornly waited her out like he’d stubbornly shown up. But no, reception was empty, so was the conference room, and Sophie was at her desk. He’d taken no for no and it was hard to fault that. “I have to find him. Where would he go? I don’t even have a phone number for him.”
“Give me a minute,” Evie said.
“I don’t have a minute,” she said, but Evie was talking to someone else. “Sophie,” she called across the office. “Did he say where he was going?”
Sophie shook her head sadly and Teela retreated behind her wooden walls because tears of frustration were building in her eyes.
“Tee. Tee.” Evie’s voice was tiny. Teela lifted the phone to her ear and Evie spoke in a rush. “I called Hassan. They’re on the way to the airport. If you want to hear what Haydn has to say be outside the office in ten minutes. Hassan is going to try to convince Hayden to detour.”
Ten minutes wasn’t enough time to do more than log out, race to the bathroom to tidy herself up and grab Sophie for a hug on the way out the door. There was no time to think and no time to hesitate or talk herself out of it.
Sophie’s, “Go get him,” rang in her ears as the elevator door closed and she made it to the front of the building in time to feel like an idiot.
You finished it. It was done. He’s going to break your
heart, over and over again.
If he even agreed to see her again.
Even if he didn’t.
He doesn’t have room for you and you don’t have room for him. This is madness.
The sky was gray, making it seem much later in the day. Any minute now it was going to rain, she could smell it in the air. She waited five, ten minutes. It’s not like she’d not been clear with Haydn. He wasn’t going to give her a second chance to disappoint him. She was ready to go back inside when a black limo slid to a stop over the alleyway. The back door opened and Haydn stepped out.
“Hi,” he said, so much apprehension built into that one tiny word it made her ache.
“Hi,” she repeated, breathlessly between waves of anxiety. This was a second chance, but it was still hopeless. Nothing could change the fact they lived in different worlds with different wants.
“Your mother told you never to get into a car with a strange man, right?” Exactly the words he’d used when he’d rescued her in the storm. He stepped away from the car. “No matter what, I don’t want to be a stranger to you,” he said, offering his hand.
Mum would say grab every chance for success and happiness, even the ones that seemed out of reach because that’s how you grew. If she took Haydn’s hand, Teela might go anywhere with him and stay forever and shortchange herself. “My mother told me to beware of sexy men who don’t want the same things I do.”
“Good advice.”
“I freaked out up there.” She inclined her head back towards the building. He deserved a goodbye that wasn’t hurt and confused. “I’m sorry about that.”
He dropped his hand. “Don’t apologize. It’s my fault. I was rash and entitled and, Jesus, Teela, I’m sorry. I didn’t know falling in love would make me feel completely out of control. You have someone else. I’ll work on trying to be happy for you. I came back to apologize to you.”
“I don’t have anyone else.”
Haydn’s body jolted as if he’d been tasered. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them Teela saw contrition and doubt had been replaced by determination.
It wasn’t other people keeping them apart. It wasn’t a lack of attraction or compatibility. “I don’t want a string of one-night stands or a long-distance affair. I don’t want to have to give up on starring in my own life. I certainly don’t want my arse all over the internet or to give up the chance to have a family.”
“I don’t want any of that for you either.”
They stared at each other, neither of them moving as it started to rain.
The car door opened, and Rick got out. “One way or another this is going to end in a kiss and we haven’t done recon and this isn’t safe. For the love of your mothers get in the car.”
She shook her head. No kissing. To kiss Haydn was to surrender to desire and delusion.