Heartwishes (Edilean 5)

She glared at him. “There is nothing to talk about. You chose someone else. The end. That’s all, folks!”

“You act like you and I were a solid couple and I dumped you.”

“Again.”

?

??What?”

“You dumped me again. For the second time. The first time was when I got a job in D.C. You were so jealous you walked out on me.”

“Is that what you think I did?”

“I know that’s what you did. You had a job you hated, while I loved mine. Then I got an even better job and you threw a jealous fit and left me. And you walked out on your dad too.”

Colin drew in his breath, unable to answer her accusations.

“So now you met some young college student and you’re leaving me. Again. I guess you think this one is going to put up with the way you ignore the women in your life.”

Colin was recovering himself and there was a volcano of anger inside him. “I never ignored you. I lived your life,” he said quietly.

“No you didn’t.” She stopped moving about the room and looked at him. “You hid in my life. You thought you were too good to be a car salesman, but you suffered through it and made everyone miserable, me included. I felt so sorry for you that I took you in and let you live my life.”

“Is that how you see it?” Colin asked softly. “There was nothing in it for you? Nothing between us?”

“Sure,” she said. “For a while. My regret—” She glared at him. “I regret that I gave you my best years. If I hadn’t had to deal with you, I could be like those women today. I could have a couple of kids and be living in Georgetown now.” Her voice was rising. “Do you know why I quit my job in D.C.?”

“Please tell me,” he said, his voice cold.

“For you. You never realized that I left all that behind because of you. I missed you and wanted to be with you. I knew you didn’t have anyone, so I came back.”

His eyes grew colder. “The scuttlebutt around the courthouse was that you got fired. I heard that you were sleeping with one of the partners, and his wife threatened to divorce him if you weren’t sent away.”

For a moment, Jean’s face seemed to swell with her rage, but then she smiled. “Misusing your badge to snoop, are you?”

“Jean,” Colin said, “why do we have to part this way? I told you when you came back that I didn’t think it would work.”

“And I said it would.” She went to a cabinet and poured herself a drink.

“You’re driving,” he said.

“Don’t worry. It’s just club soda.” She took a deep drink. “So what happens now? You get rid of me as soon as you can, then run back to your butch girlfriend?” She looked at him through her lashes. “You should have told me that’s what you liked. I would have done a little dress up. You like whips and chains too?”

“Jean, I think you should leave. Better yet, I should go. You stay here and sleep. I don’t want you driving when you’re this angry.”

“And where will you go? Back to Mommy? Or to your boxing boyfriend?”

He put his hand on the doorknob. He couldn’t bear to hear any more of this. If she kept on, he’d be drawn into it, and he’d say things he would regret later.

“Oh, but that’s right. You bought a house, didn’t you? I spent months—years—trying to get you to buy a house with me, but you wouldn’t. You’ve just met this . . . this hermaphrodite and you buy one for her?!”

Abruptly, all the anger left her, and she dropped down on the couch and began to cry.

Colin knew he could have left her rage and false accusations, but he couldn’t leave her in tears. Reluctantly, he closed the door and went to sit beside her. Her sobs were shaking her shoulders, and when she leaned against him, he put his arm around her.

“Jean, I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry for all the hurt I’ve caused you. I didn’t leave you because I was jealous of your job.”

“Then why?” she asked. “I thought we were good together. I thought we had everything.”