Mine

Gabe’s mouth dropped open. “Maybe?”

“But I did it because I care about you. Because I wanted to fix the mess that seemed to have you stuck and frozen and in so much pain.” There it was. The absolute truth. She’d messed up and handled this all wrong, but she got to that place because of her intense feelings for him. Because she was falling in love with him.

“I was handling it.” But most of the anger had left Gabe’s voice. Now he sounded more resigned . . . something neutral and emotionless.

“No, you weren’t.” The last of her energy drained away. She could feel her body list to one side and tightened her grip on the couch to keep from bobbling. “But you have your answer now, and I’m happy for you.”

“My concern is about us at the moment, not Brandon.”

They’d jumped way past that point. Right into that famous avenue of no return. “Don’t you get it? There is no us.”

Before she could say anything else, she turned and headed up the stairs. She needed to gather what few things she had and slink away. She’d never crawled in front of a man. Never broke down. She teetered on the verge, and with everything else she’d lost tonight she refused to lose her dignity, too.

“Where are you going?” Gabe asked.

She froze on the second step. He still didn’t seem to get how shredded she was. Good, then she’d press on like she always did. Head high and shoulders back.

“Wherever you’re not.”

•   •   •

Gabe heard the door upstairs click shut. He’d gone numb and his brain threatened to shut down on him. All he could do was stand there and stare at the empty staircase.

Andy’s voice broke into the silence. “That didn’t go well.”

“Do not even think about sticking up for her.” Having to deal with one more thing . . . Gabe couldn’t do it.

During his life he’d been shot at, stabbed. Been left to raise a baby mostly alone and lived through his brother’s betrayal, but Natalie tore him apart. Her retreating back and those final words shattered every bit of happiness inside him.

“Of course not.” But Andy’s voice suggested it wasn’t as easy to pick sides as Gabe thought.

“She stole property—”

Andy shrugged. “Probably a hairbrush.”

“—and lied to me.” Conducted a DNA test on his family without telling him. The invasion struck so deep he couldn’t figure out how to dodge around it.

“She got you an answer.”

The only relief in an otherwise shitty half hour, but if Gabe thought about the findings for two seconds he’d be on his knees. He could celebrate later. Now he needed to make her understand that the ends did not justify the means. “That’s not the point.”

Andy’s eyebrow lifted. “Isn’t it?”

Doubt broke through the other emotions bombarding Gabe. All he wanted to do was call Brandon and hear his voice. No, that should have been all, but now he thought about Natalie, too. He wanted her to . . . do something that would make it easier to get past her choice without feeling as if he’d been duped once again by someone he loved. And he still did love her. If that didn’t make him the biggest sap, Gabe didn’t know what would.

Desperate to keep treading water and not just lose it altogether, Gabe looked at Andy. “Please tell me you see the trust violation.”

“I think you’ve been turned around and ripped inside out by Linda and Rick and your time overseas and with worry over me and Brandon. You’ve been in charge for so long, without a break, and been the one who calls the shots that you missed the part where you were hiding from an issue that had to be put to rest.”

Gabe didn’t know what those factors had to do with anything, but he sure hated the sound of the list. “You make me sound like a fucking prize.”

“She equals you. She is never going to be easy.”

Andy still talked as if they were a couple. That had been blown apart. Even looking at the scattered pieces, Gabe couldn’t figure out what they were other than splintered and fighting. Two things he didn’t want. “She won’t even admit she should have told me. She said ‘maybe’ she messed up. I mean, come on.”

“And you won’t admit she saved you.” Andy made a tsk-tsking sound. “Seems like the perfect pair to me.”

Gabe stopped and took a mental step back. Andy wasn’t yelling or crucifying Natalie for her actions. He almost joked, as if everything happening now amounted to not much at all. “What’s your point?”

“Did you really ask her to live with you?”

So, Andy had been hiding outside, listening, for longer than Gabe thought. He’d heard and there was no use in denying the basic gist of his offer to her. “Not in those words.”

“Now who’s being difficult?”

“People get close and then they lie to me.” The admission cost Gabe something.

Andy sobered. “Some did and you deserved better.”

“Including her.” A noise above him had Gabe turning around. Natalie thumped her way down the stairs, with her boots smacking against each step as she carried a duffel bag over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Leaving.” She kept right on walking. Breezed past him and headed for the front door.

“We’re not done,” he shouted at her retreating back.

“Oh, we’re done.” She turned around and tapped her hand against the side of the duffel. “You bought all of this for me, so charge it to Bast. I’ll pay for everything when I pay my legal bill.”

A chill moved through him. The idea of her leaving cut deeper than the idea of her ru

Then there was his real job. Keeping her safe. “Where exactly do you plan to go?”

She held the bag’s strap in a death grip. “It’s fine for me out there, remember?”

“That is not what Rick said.” God, if after all this his words caused her to run out and get hurt or worse . . . there was no way he could live with that. Gabe knew that much.

“I’m a big girl.”

“You’re ru

She didn’t look away from his stare. “It’s a skill that works for me.”

Andy cleared his throat. “I can take you to D.C. or wherever you want to go.”

The offer had Gabe’s head spi

“She wants to leave,” Andy said.

She shook her head but didn’t move any closer to the front door. “I’m fine.”

“At least let me take you to the cabin.” Keys jingled as Andy pulled the chain out of his front pocket. “Then you can scatter from there.”

“Deal.” This time she did reach for the doorknob and pulled.

The numbness returned. A deep, black nothingness that made Gabe hope for the return of his anger. “So that’s it?”

She froze but didn’t turn around to face him. “You made this decision.”

Then she opened the door and stepped outside, leaving it open behind her.

Gabe watched her walk down the front steps and look out over his open front yard. He turned on Andy. “What are you thinking with that offer?”

“That you have until I get to the cabin to figure out letting her go is the wrong move.” Andy’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ll drive slow, but get there fast because losing her will be the biggest fucking mistake you’ve ever made.”

The words had Gabe jerking with surprise. “I am not ru

“You sure as hell better be. And you need to make a big gesture.”

Andy kept talking like the problem had been resolved. Any way Gabe put the pieces together in his head he could not make the puzzle come out that way. “She’s the one who fucked me over.”

“Again, you didn’t pick an easy woman.” Andy slapped the back of his hand against Gabe’s chest. “Man up and fight for her.”

Andy headed out, following Natalie’s path. But Gabe just stood there, trying to figure out the last few roller coaster minutes. Good news. Horrible news. Keeping Brandon safe. Losing her forever.