I hear laughter inside, and when Rhett opens the door, and he sees it’s me, he frowns.
“Why are you knocking? Come in.”
I take a few steps backward and shove my hands into the pockets of my jacket.
Rhett tilts his head to the side, and he takes a step towards me, which only makes me take another one backward. I need to keep the space between us.
I force my eyes to stay locked with his, as I say the words I’ve repeated over and over to myself the past week.
“I want you to know how thankful I am for everything you’ve done for me. I’ll never forget it.”
The spit in my mouth thickens, and I swallow hard.
The questioning look on Rhett’s face turns to shock as he catches on to what I’m doing.
My heartbeat speeds up until it’s slamming against my ribs, trying to free itself from my body so it can stay behind with Rhett.
“I’m leaving. I’ve come to say goodbye,” I whisper, unable to say the words much louder.
“You’re leaving,” he breathes. His face turns hard, and it looks as if it has been chiseled out of stone. “Why?”
I owe him honesty. It’s the least I can do after everything he’s done for me.
“Loving you hurts too much. Seeing you with other women and knowing they’re getting the one thing I want most, is killing me. I’m in love with you, Rhett. I want it all. I want you, and I’m not prepared to share you with anyone else. But I know you don’t feel that way about me. I have to leave.”
Pain flashes across his face, and I hate that I’m hurting him. Because I’m a selfish coward, I’m running away. It’s what I do best.
Before I can lose my nerve, I dart forward and give him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. He’s so stunned that I manage to pull away before he can take hold of me.
“I love you, Rhett Daniels. You’ll always be my hero,” I choke the words out before I turn around and run for the cab.
“Evie!” He yells at me.
I climb into the back of the cab as fast as I can, and scream, “Go! Drive!”
The cab starts to pull away, and I look back to Rhett as he comes running towards us. I can’t hold the tears back any longer, and I let them fall as I place my hand flat against the window.
“I love you so much,” I whisper as I watch him stop in the middle of the road. His hands fly to the back of his head, and the look on his face is pure devastation.
“It’s for the best, Evie,” I whisper to myself, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand.
The ride to the bus station is a blur of heartache. I somehow manage to pay the right fee for both the cab and the bus ticked when I get to the booth. I pick a random destination, Los Angeles. I’ve read the weather is perfect there.
The thirty minutes I spend waiting for the bus, I keep glancing around, scared that Rhett will show up and convince me to stay. It wouldn’t take much effort on his part.
When it comes to Rhett, it’s so easy to forgive him.
But I have to do this for me.