His gut twisted. Could he convince her that his love was real? That he’d believed he was acting in her best interests as well? He wanted to believe the answer was yes…and feared that it was no. That’s why he was stalling, as if he could convince himself that she was back home waiting for him, loving him, as long as he wasn’t there to watch her pack her bags and leave. But sooner or later, he’d have to go home and see for himself.
“I’ll head to the airport right now,” he said, throwing his meager supply of things into an overnight bag and heading for the door.
He stopped briefly to give Alexis a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you,” he said simply.
“It’s what I’m here for. To remind you sometimes that you’re not always right.”
He gave a strangled laugh. Nothing changed between them. Even though she knew he’d been a complete ass with Tamsyn, and she’d soundly told him that not five minutes ago, they still had a connection that not even their eight-year age difference could sever. Friends, family. The lines had always been blurred, but one thing was certain. They were always there for one another and were always one hundred percent up front.
“You’re growing cobwebs,” she said with a cocked eyebrow.
“I’m gone. Wish me luck.”
“You’re going to need more than that, but I’ll wish it for you anyway. Now, shoo!”
He was gone.
A last-minute ticket came at a premium, but Finn didn’t care. Money wasn’t the issue, he’d have paid whatever it took if the ticket could guarantee he’d be able to stop Tamsyn from leaving him. He was flooded with relief as he saw her rental car parked outside the front door to his home. The trunk was open. Clearly he was just in time.
Her keys hung in the ignition and he pocketed them for safekeeping. If she still chose to leave after what he had to say, then he would have to watch her go, but in the meantime he wanted her to have to listen to him.
He found her in their bedroom shoving the last of her things into her case. Her face was pale, her eyes holding a world of hurt as she looked up and saw him. She turned her attention back to her case, wrestling with the tab on the zipper and uttering a string of curses before the thing came off in her hand entirely. Defeated, she slumped onto the floor beside the case.
“Need a hand?” he asked, stepping closer.
“Go away,” she replied, her voice tearful, shaky.
He had the distinct impression that if he reached out and touched her she’d shatter into a thousand pieces where she sat. She was clearly operating on her last reserve.
“Don’t go, Tamsyn. Please?”
“There’s nothing left for me here now. Do you hear me?” She turned her face to him, her beautiful lush mouth twisting as she repeated herself. “Nothing!”
She’d meant the words to hurt him, and they had.
“I’m sorry, so sorry.”
“Empty words,” she said, forcing her attention to trying to clip the zipper tab back on her case. “I don’t want to stay here anymore, I don’t want to see you anymore.”
“I understand, you have every right to feel this way, but please stay. At least for Ellen’s funeral.”
She uttered a sound, a bitter ringing laugh. “Your precious Lorenzo wouldn’t let me see her alive, what makes you think he’ll let me be around now she’s dead?”
“He was only trying to protect the love of his life, the way I was trying to protect mine.”
“Don’t give me that,” she said, her voice cracking under the strain of holding on to her anger, of holding back the tide of her grief. He knew how it felt. He was doing exactly the same thing himself. “The choices you made right from the beginning had nothing to do with what was best for me. You were his willing puppet all along. He must have commended you on going above and beyond the call of duty. You’re quite a guy.”
“You deserved to see Ellen—we were both wrong to stop you. I saw that earlier on but I couldn’t convince him of that. I couldn’t go against him, not when I knew how much he loved her. He’d never have forgiven me if I let any harm come to her—just like I’ll never forgive myself for what I did to you.”
“I don’t believe you. Why would you begin telling me the truth now?” She gave a small sound of satisfaction as she got the tab onto the zipper and managed to successfully close her case.
“Because I love you and because I want you to stay.”
She shook her head. “Good try, but not working.”
Tamsyn rose fluidly to her feet and extended the handle of her bag. Finn rose to block her way.