Romancing the Bachelor (A Hamilton Family 2)

Not anymore.

“Get out,” she said slowly, trembling but refusing to show it.

He stared at her, not moving. “Shel—”

“I said get out!” She ended on a shout, surprising herself more than she surprised him. She wasn’t a yeller. Even when George had literally abandoned her in a city she didn’t like, she had just stood there, letting him. Accepting that this was the way life was going to be. But she didn’t accept this. She refused to sit quietly when he ripped her heart out of her chest. “Now.”

He swallowed hard, staring at her, and flexed his jaw. After what felt like a million years, he nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

As he walked past her, she caught a whiff of his cologne, and she breathed in deep, hating herself for wanting one last time where she smelled it and she wasn’t dreaming. It was that weakness, that need, that had her straightening her spine and lifting her chin. “Don’t forget your jacket.”

“You can keep it.”

“I don’t want it.” She didn’t want something she could hug, or smell, or remember him by. She didn’t need it. “Take it.”

He doubled back, pulling it off the chair she’d put it on last night. She’d been planning on returning it, and then making love to him all night long. Now, she got this. After he grabbed it, he looked at her one last time. There was something in his eyes, something she didn’t quite understand, but the thing was…she didn’t want to.

Not anymore.

“I’m sorry, Shel. I never wanted things to go down like this.”

She didn’t say anything.

There was nothing to say.

At her silence, he nodded again, lifted his hand slightly, then let it drop back to his side. “Good-bye. I wish you the best of luck, Shel. I really do.”

“Yeah. Sure. Thanks.”

He walked by her, and the second the door closed behind him, she let herself break. She sat on the chair where his jacket had hung moments before, and swore she could still smell it. But it was empty. Everything was empty. The back of the chair. Her apartment. Her heart. Her.

Choking on a sob, she covered her mouth and lost it. She had no idea how long she cried, but once the tears dried and the pain turned into anger, she wiped her cheeks off, took a deep breath, and stared out the window as the sky gradually darkened and turned into evening. Then, and only then, she got up. She stood, her legs only trembling slightly, and walked to her phone.

After a quick call to the moving company, she went into her room, grabbed a box, and started packing stuff she didn’t need on a daily basis. She didn’t stop moving until her arms ached, her back throbbed, and her eyes were dry. Her whole body hurt, and everything begged for rest…

But at least it distracted her from her broken heart.

From him.

Chapter Twenty-One

Eric stared at the elevator doors, waiting for them to open, focusing on the crack that divided the two, because what the hell else was there to focus on? For almost a week, ever since he’d lied and told Shelby he didn’t want to be with her, the nights had been an empty copy of what he used to call living, and he’d been spending every night alone.

Last night had been no different.

Since it was Saturday morning, and Shelby had worked her last day in the courthouse on Friday, he’d opted to spend the night back home with his parents. The moving company was probably coming today, and he’d had no intention of seeing her walk out of his life for good.

But then he’d remembered his promise to her, and he’d gotten in his car to drive back home before he could talk himself out of it. He’d promised he would wave and smile as she drove away…

And God help him, he’d fucking do it.

Even if it killed him.

Even if she no longer wanted him to.

When Shelby offered to stay here with him, it had taken all his self-control to tell her she had to go. Selfishly, he wanted to take her up on her offer. Selfishly, he wanted her to stay.

Turns out, he wasn’t selfish when it came to her.