Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3)(28)

“Your admirers?” he asked with infallible confidence, looking pointedly across her body to the hot men.

“Um, yeah, I guess. You know what it’s like.”

“I do, yes. As you know.” He turned toward the bar. It was the move that would usually have women swiveling further toward him, worried they’d lost his attention. She knew that move. She knew he’d spent a lifetime perfecting it with the goal of getting women into his bed. She hated that he was using it on her.

Krista was up and walking away before he’d completely turned to the bar.

“Krista—“

She half-turned with a hand up, stopping him. “I told you not to bring that man around me, Sean. I hate him. I don’t trust him. You bring out the womanizer, and I walk away.”

Sean took a step back with surprise lighting his face. “Sorry, I—“ He shook his head, his confidence ebbed. “Krista, I’d like to talk to you.”

His cologne penetrated her comfort bubble. A thousand memories flooded her mind, choking her. “About what, Sean?” she managed.

“I’d like to explain some things.”

He was looking at her in a cloud of intimacy. Her heart thudded and her breath came fast. He could still do that to her. After all this time, after all he had done, he could bungle her emotions with a look. The dam broke.

“What things, Sean? Things like how you cut me off two years ago and sent me packing? Things like how you did it again, with finality, six months ago? Things like not communicating or contacting me in all that time? Telling me to be happy? Find someone else and be happy? Huh, Sean? Those things?”

He blinked at her, his confidence now evaporating. She took that as a sign to push her luck. “Or what about things concerning you spending two and a half years planning to work for the company I got hired into and never mentioning it to me? Not once! We sat on a surf board in the middle ocean with no one around, talking about a new job offer, changing locations, and you never even hinted that you were planning a hostile takeover of my life. Again. You cut me off, pushed me away, told me to find someone new, and then followed me to rub it in. Couldn’t you let me handle your rejection in peace, Sean? Did you have to then show up and flaunt it?”

Crying and hysterical, Krista was making a scene and did not care in the slightest. It was all coming out. All the hurt and torture were being purged. She only hoped Marcus was doing damage control.

“Oh God, Krissy, that wasn’t my intention. That was never my intention…”

“What wasn’t your intention, Sean? Dumping me, or following me around the state to rub it in?”

“Krista, I came to this region because you were single. If you were still with your boyfriend, I would have gone elsewhere. All that I’ve done over the last two years has been for you. I moved down here for you.”

“That’s bullshit. You wanted Junior VP before I met you. You stayed for you.”

“Yes, but I didn’t plan to work with Tory until it was clear you would accept his offer. I worked like a dog to get that promotion. If you had stayed in San Francisco, I wouldn’t have worked so hard. So fast.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I couldn’t follow you down here right away because I was just a salesman. I needed VP in my title so I could move with some clout. Tory talked about bringing me on, but I needed upward mobility. I made an agreement with him. If I could show myself worthy in Dexico as VP, then he would consider me. I worked harder than I ever had in my life to make the move as fast as possible. I was against the clock. It was only a matter of time before you moved on. Then, in San Francisco, I thought you had moved on and it was all for nothing—I wasn’t going to take the job. But then you became single—I want to be able to provide for you. For our future. I love you, Krista. I’ve always loved you.”

It happened before she knew it. She didn’t mean to, but her hand moved of its own accord. She slapped him across the face. As hard as she could. A resounding smack echoed. To Sean’s credit, after the initial shock of it, he didn’t move. He didn’t get angry. He looked at her solemnly.

“You righteous ass**le!” she screamed.

Sean’s face screwed up in confusion, red already showing where her hand met his cheek. “I don’t understand.”

Her tears, having subsided slightly over his dialogue, renewed in force. “Why didn’t you tell me to wait for you? Three years of my life I’ve been half a person. I’ve been a shell. I would have waited! I would have stayed true to you. Why did you hurt me like that, Sean, if you intended to follow me the whole time? Why didn’t you tell me? Confide in me? Why?”

She was begging at the end, her legs giving out slightly. Sean stepped forward and caught her easily.

“I wanted you to be happy, baby,” he said urgently in her ear. “You don’t deserve a man that couldn’t drop everything and go with you. You don’t deserve a man that let you leave. I didn’t know how long it would take. How could I ask that of you?”

“What if I had married someone else? Did you think of that? I would have done that only to try and forget you. To move on—to try and be happy, like you said. And I would have regretted every day of it. It was my choice to wait, Sean. My choice. Not yours.

“No, you know what?” She pushed away from him violently. Pain lanced his face. “You were only trying to protect yourself! Love is hard, but my moving got you off the hook. I was closer to you than any other woman has been, and that scared you. So you said, ‘Be happy, Krista, find someone that can love you better.’ That’s not noble, Sean, that’s cowardice. You took the easy way out, leaving me to take the harder road. You worked like a dog for you. You chanced losing me for your pride. Well, guess what, Sean, congratulations, you lost me! I hope it was worth it!”