“Donnie.”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not your Donnie. I’m not your anything. Because of you, I’ll never be…”
Anyone’s anything. The words were stuck in her throat which was something to be grateful for, at least.
“Never mind,” she said, turning abruptly because that stupid ball of emotion decided now was as good a time as any to bubble up, and she was going to cry.
Dammit. She was going to cry.
But not in front of Jack. She’d rather jump off the dock and say hello to a whole school of sharks than let him see just how much he still meant to her.
How much he could still hurt her.
She took one step. One step.
And felt his hand on her arm.
Chapter Nine
* * *
Jack felt like the biggest douche bag ever. He’d never meant to worry Donovan. Hell, it had never entered his mind that she’d even care.
But she did. And if he was reading the signals right, she cared a whole lot which made no sense at all. She’d ended things between them. That was all on her.
For just one second, Jack considered letting her go, but then that nagging thought that had been at the back of his mind for the past few days nudged him. It’s what sent him forward, because he was done playing nice. Done with the whole, ‘I don’t give a crap thing’, because that was about as far from the truth as he could get.
He was damn well ready for some answers. He’d waited long enough.
Five years too long.
“Donnie,” he said, reaching for her arm. The rain was still falling and her skin was slick with it. “Hey, hold up.”
She wouldn’t turn around, but she didn’t shrug him off either. In a calculated risk, Jack decided to put it all out there. Why not? It’s not as if he had anything to lose and, on the flipside, maybe he’d finally figure out the mess that was their history.
Maybe then he could move on.
“Turn around,” he said.
“I don’t want to.”
The woman couldn’t make anything easy.
“Turn the fuck around,” he said through gritted teeth as a fresh wave of anger rolled over him. “I’m not going to talk to the back of your head like some tail-between-his-legs schoolboy.”
She shook off his hand and slowly turned around, but she refused to look at him which made that slow burn inside spark something fierce. When the hell had he become the bad guy?
“Why are you so upset anyway? I don’t get it. Five years ago, you left me a goddamn letter and ended things. I didn’t even rate a face to face. So what gives now? Why the concern? We’re not friends. We’re barely acquaintances anymore. I thought you’d love having the place to yourself.”
Her chin jutted forward and finally he had her attention. Those big eyes locked onto his with an intensity that surprised him. And wait…were those tears in her eyes?
Jack swore and ran his hands over his wet head. “What the hell? You gotta help me out here. I get that you were scared because you were all alone and yes, I apologize for not leaving a note. But Donnie, something else is going on. You’re—“
“Of course I was scared you idiot. I still…” But her voice trailed off and those big eyes slid away from him. She damn well was hiding something and his frustration grew.
“Still what?” He took a step closer until he was in her face. “What are you not telling me?”
But she wouldn’t meet his gaze and aside from physically forcing her to look up at him, Jack was out of options. The only thing he had was the truth.