Coming Home(177)

“It just doesn’t make sense anymore,” he continued. “For either one of us.”

She shook her head. “Stop. Don’t do this.”

“No, you don’t do this,” he said. “Don’t make this hard, Leah. I’m trying to tell you what I want.”

She stared at him for several seconds before she spoke. “And you’re saying you don’t want this?” Her expression was smooth, but her voice quavered slightly, betraying her. “You don’t want us?”

It took every ounce of strength in his body to keep the emotion out of his next words—the most despicable lie to ever leave his lips. “Not anymore.”

Leah kept her eyes on him, and he could see the rise and fall of her chest gradually increase in speed. “Why are you doing this?” she whispered.

He needed to end this conversation. Her suffering would be the last straw—the thing that demolished him and caused his illusion of strength to burst apart and scatter to the floor like the house of cards it was.

“It’s what’s best for both of us, Leah. I promise you that. I know you don’t think so right now, but eventually you will. And then you’ll be relieved we put a stop to this when we did.”

She opened her mouth to speak and he stood, cutting her off. Leah lifted her chin, looking up at him with eyes so full of vulnerability he knew he’d never recover from the weight of it.

“I just want you to know,” he said. He cleared his throat and took a step backward. “I just want you to know that every time I told you I loved you…I meant it.”

Leah shook her head. “Don’t say that,” she said, her voice hardening slightly. “You don’t get to say those words to me right now.”

Danny looked down and nodded. “Take care of yourself, Leah,” he said, and then he turned and walked back toward the inmates’ exit. He held his thumb against the buzzer that would alert the guard, and as the seconds ticked by, he kept his eyes on the door, refusing to look back.

Whatever he would find there—whether she was sobbing, or infuriated, or struck dumb, or relieved—none of it would provide him with any solace. No good could come of looking back. He had to keep moving forward.

The door opened and Danny stepped inside the small room, immediately putting his arms out to his sides, and as the guard patted him down, he heard the door click shut behind him.

He’d been right about one thing—this day had been a turning point for him. For the first time since he’d walked through the doors of Fort Dix, he felt something that resembled relief.

Because no matter how far he spiraled down now, he wouldn’t be dragging her along with him.





“Rise and shine, gorgeous.”

Leah flinched as a flash of brightness penetrated the room, assaulting her eyes even though they were still closed.

She pulled her brow together and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow and away from the offensive light as she curled her comforter into her chest.

“Nuh-uh,” Holly said, grabbing her blanket and giving it a firm yank, forcing Leah onto her back again. “Come on. Up you go.”

“Holly, what the hell?” Leah rasped, her voice gravelly with sleep and disuse. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.

“It’s almost noon, Leah. Time to get up.”

“How did you even get in here?” Leah snapped, and Holly laughed.

“I have a key, remember?”

“Yeah, for emergencies.”