One Last Time(77)

He gets nose to nose with me, closes his eyes for a moment before opening them again, and breathes heavily. “We’re done. There’s nothing more to say. I want you out of my place now.”

“You have to believe me, Noah. Please, you know me. You love me, and we have to figure this out. I don’t know how this happened, but I swear to God I didn’t do this! Why would I want to hurt you? Don’t you see . . . this doesn’t make sense?”

“So out of nowhere, everything I told you is suddenly exposed? All the details of my life are there for the world to see, under your name and sent from your email. Yet, you didn’t do it? Do you think I’m that stupid? Did you think I wouldn’t find out? Or did you think you already got what you needed and didn’t care?”

His words wound me deeper than anything I’ve ever heard before. He doesn’t believe me, and I don’t know how to prove it. All I know is I didn’t send that email. I didn’t write those words, and I didn’t tell anyone what he said to me.

“What about the people who knew from your past? I’m not the only person that knows!” I grasp at straws, but that’s all that I can reach for.

“You think I didn’t consider that? Why would they risk losing everything now? My team handled all of that when I entered this business. And how would they suddenly know your name, Kristin? How would they have your email and send it to your boss? Explain any of that!”

“I know what it looks like, but please,” I plead. “Please, give me a few days to figure out what is going on.”

“Save your energy. I’ll be gone by tonight.”

My muscles go still, and I feel faint. He can’t leave like this. There’s an answer somewhere, and I need time to find it. I reach for him, but he pulls back, and my heart drops. A man, who last night couldn’t keep his hands off me, will no longer let me near him.

“I’m begging you. Please, give me a minute to figure out what is going on.”

Noah’s bright green eyes go hard as he stares me down. “I was leaving anyway.”

The smugness in his voice shakes me. He never said anything about leaving.

“Leaving?”

“I’m going to France. I got a role, and I was due there in a few days. Looks like you just made it a lot easier. Thanks for that.”

So, he’s been lying to me? Making me fall in love and planning to walk away?

“You promised you weren’t going anywhere!” I cry out.

He lets out a sarcastic laugh. “And you promised me I was the whole damn thing. Looks like we both lied.”

“Noah, don’t do this . . .”

Piece by piece, our relationship crumbles around me.

“Don’t.” He turns with his jaw clenched. “Don’t make me the bad guy here. Because right now, I’m doing everything I can not to hurt you. I’m holding back everything I’m feeling because watching you cry is killing me. That’s what love is, Kris. I’m willing to have my heart ripped from my fucking chest”—Noah pounds his fist over his heart—“because hurting you makes me sick. I love you. I love you despite the fact that you did this to us. I’m not the one who is doing a goddamn thing, sweetheart. This is all on you.” He shakes his head and storms from the bedroom.

I stand with nothing but a sheet wrapped around me and fall to my knees. My heart pounds against my chest as the tears fall relentlessly. “I swear, I love you,” I whisper to no one.

How can this be happening?

How was it not even five hours ago we were making love, and now we’re through?

I hear the front door slam, and I flinch. He can’t leave me. I won’t let him. I get to my feet and rush to the living room, but he’s not here. “Noah!” I call out for him, but he’s gone.

My already crippled heart has taken its final blow and will never recover.

Each breath is a struggle, but I make it to the bedroom, gasping for air. Losing him is too much. If he’d just come back, we could figure this out. There’s an explanation somewhere, but he’s given up on me. My teeth chatter, echoing through the empty room as I get myself dressed.

I grab the framed picture of us at the aquarium from his side of the bed and lose it.

Noah has his sunglasses on, I’m behind him with my head over his shoulder, Aubrey is in his arms, and Finn is jumping in front with his mouth open. How can he think this is even possible? How I feel is clear as day in the image. I love him. I let him meet my children. Why would I ever do this?

Maybe he needs time. He’ll see this isn’t real. He has to.

I wipe my tears and try to stop them from falling. It hurts so much.

Gathering my belongings, I do everything I can to force myself to get it together. I go over every detail of the last few days, and I can’t think of anything that was out of place. I sent the email from my home, verified that Erica got it, and then I’ve been with Noah.

I dropped the kids off at Scott’s while Noah waited at my house. Then, we came to his place, had the most intense sex of my life, ate, had more sex, and then everything imploded.

The condo feels cold, all the warmth and love we shared hours ago has evaporated. I look at the note on the counter, and the tears return.



* * *



I want you gone by the time I get back. Here’s money for a cab. I thought losing Tanya hurt, but it’s nothing compared to the damage you’ve caused me.