It hurts to know I’ll never fall asleep in the circle of his arms again.
Never wake to his smile.
Never check my temperature with his hand on my hip beneath the covers, both of us hoping it’s time to start rolling the dice for a baby for real.
By the time I hang up the phone, I’m almost in tears, but I refuse to let Chip see them. Keeping my chin tucked to my chest, I mumble, “I’m going to go pack. Would you mind putting the vegetables away?”
“Of course, honey,” he says, all sweetness and concern as if he didn’t just harass me and then attempt to shame me for not being interested in his creepy offer. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re making the right choice. And a brave one. I’ll explain everything to Zack. Don’t worry about that at all.”
“No, I’ll explain it to Zack. I’ll call him once I’m settled in at the hotel.” Chip starts to protest, but I cut him off firmly. “I won’t tell him about our talk, but I will explain my decision. He deserves that.”
After a moment, Chip nods. “All right. Do what feels right. Just make sure you’ve got your mind made up before you call. I’m sure Zack will ask you to come back. He’s not thinking with his head right now.” He smirks. “At least not the big one.”
Without bothering to respond to that, I turn on my heel and head for the stairs. Taking them two at a time, I’m suddenly desperate to be gone. I can’t stand another moment alone with Chip, and if Zack comes back before I’m gone, there’s a chance I’ll break down and confess everything he said.
And then, if I know Zack, he’ll fire Chip, throwing his career into chaos right before he’s set to launch as a solo artist. As much as I dislike Chip, from everything Zack’s said, he’s necessary to the process.
Upstairs in my room, I throw clothes into my suitcase, not bothering to separate the dirty from the clean. Who cares if I wear a dirty dress home tomorrow? I’m sure I’ll be crying the entire trip anyway. Might as well be wrinkled and smelly and give people a good excuse to stay away from the crazy lady with the puffy red eyes.
Back on the ground floor a few minutes later, I find Chip in a wing-backed chair in the living room with a tumbler full of ice and brown liquid. Behind him, I can make out enough of the kitchen to see that he didn’t bother putting the vegetables away and that my dinner-prep mess is still all over the counter.
Fighting a wave of unreasonably hot rage, I force out through gritted teeth, “Clean up the kitchen. If you don’t, Zack will realize I was upset when I left. He knows I’d never leave a mess like that behind for someone else to clean up.”
Chip’s lips pucker, and irritation flashes behind his eyes. Before he can speak, I add, “Or I can stay and take care of it, but Zack might come back in before I’m finished and—”
“Go,” Chip says. “I’ll clean up. No worries at all.”
I nod, tightening my grip on my suitcase handle. “I’d say it was nice to meet you, but…” My breath rushes out through my chilled lips. “Be good to Zack. Do everything in your power to help him achieve his goals. If you don’t, I’ll tell him what you said to me tonight, and you’ll be out of a job.”
Chip arches an amused brow. “You think he’d believe you?”
“I know he would.” I haven’t a shred of doubt. I am positive that Zack is the good man I’ve come to know and love.
That certainty gives me comfort as I head out the front door and climb into Jed’s ancient hybrid sedan. Zack will be hurt that I left like this. He might even be sad for a while, but he’ll bounce back and find someone perfect for him. He’s an incredible guy, the whole package, and it’s only a matter of time before he meets a woman who will appreciate everything he has to offer.
Hell, it might not even be that long. If he starts actively looking for her like we talked about today, he’ll probably be sliding a ring on Mrs. Right’s finger before the year is out.
“You sure we can’t convince you to stay one more night?” Jed asks, sliding back into the driver’s seat beside me after loading my suitcase into the trunk.
I force a smile and shake my head. “I need to go. You know how it is. Sometimes you just…can’t wait.”
He nods, a little sadly. “I do. But for what it’s worth, I think you two are going to make it. Like I said, I have a sixth sense about things like this.” He shifts into drive and starts down the driveway toward the main road. “Don’t lose hope.”