Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Yes,” I said, feeling confused. My car would be ready today?
“He also made me promise I wouldn’t call his mother and say anything about you leaving. Paid me an extra twenty for it too.” She tilted her head. “Are you okay, honey? You look kinda pale.”
“Is Griffin here?” I asked, glancing at the door to the garage.
“I assume so. You want me to go get him?”
“Yes, thank you. If he’s not too busy, I need to speak with him.”
“Sure thing.” She hurried from behind the desk into the service bay.
A moment later, she appeared again. “He says he’ll be right out.”
“Thank you.” I faced the window, looking out at the sidewalk and trying to keep my composure.
A few minutes later, I heard his voice.
“Blair.”
I turned to see Griffin standing there in the doorway, tall and solid as a fortress. His blue eyes were bloodshot, his hands curled into fists, but his expression gave nothing away.
“Lanette, could you give us a minute?” he asked.
Clearly hoping to witness some drama, Lanette’s face fell. She put her purse over her shoulder. “I guess I’ll take lunch now. I’ll be in the break room.”
When we were alone, Griffin cleared his throat and spoke quietly. “Your car is ready. It’s in the lot. Keys are on the front seat.”
“That’s what Lanette said. I don’t understand.”
“The parts came in yesterday.”
It still didn’t make sense. “But when did you do the work?”
“Last night. I couldn’t sleep, so I came down here and got it done.”
“You worked all through the night?” That explained the bloodshot eyes. On closer inspection I saw the dark circles too. The sallow complexion.
He shrugged. “I figured you’d want the option to leave as soon as possible.”
The crazy thing was, I didn’t. I wanted to fly at him, beat on his chest, fight back, force him to admit I’d meant something to him. I wanted to try again to convince him that what we had was worth a shot.
But I was too afraid of being rejected again. Realistically, he’d probably worked through the night to get rid of me as quickly as he could.
“What do I owe you for the repairs?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Griffin, please. Tell me what I owe you.”
He shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. “You don’t owe me anything, Blair.”
My lower lip trembled. When he said my name softly like that, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice cracking.
I pushed my sunglasses up on my head. “I’m not pregnant.”
He looked relieved. “Are you sure? Already?”
“I’m sure.”
“Well . . . that’s good.”
“Yes. But to answer your question, no. I’m not okay.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, moving close enough that I could smell the motor oil on him. “I wish things could be different.”
“Me too.” I laughed, but it wasn’t funny. “I wish so many things. Mostly, I wish the man I thought you were really existed.”
“He does,” Griffin said, his eyes full of torment. “He just can’t give you what you want.”
“I feel like I must have imagined everything,” I said, tears filling my eyes. “Imagined that you cared about me.”
“You didn’t imagine it.”
I shook my head. “Why should I believe anything you say?”
“Because it’s the truth.” He took me by the shoulders. “I’m sorry about what I said last night. It wasn’t just sex, okay? It was a lot more than that, but you have to go now.”
“Why?” I said, tears splashing down my cheeks. “If you feel something for me, why are you sending me away?”
“Goddammit, Blair.” He crushed his mouth to mine, and in his kiss I felt desperation and agony, a heartbreak that rivaled my own. He broke it off abruptly. “You have to go,” he repeated, breathing hard. “I made a mistake keeping you here so long.”
“What do you mean, keeping me here?”
“Nothing.” He stepped back from me. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“I don’t understand you, Griffin. If it’s so hard to say goodbye, why do it at all? Why can’t we give this a chance?”
“Because we just can’t!” he yelled. “We’re not the same, okay? We’re too different. From different worlds. It never would have worked. I’m doing you a favor.”
“That’s bullshit. I left my superficial world behind looking for someplace better. Someplace real. Someplace that would welcome me with open arms and make me feel like I belonged. Someplace that made me feel loved.”
He clenched his jaw. “I hope you find it.” Then he shouldered past me and pulled the door open.
What choice did I have?
He was holding the door open for me to leave.
He was holding the door open for me to leave, because he’d had his heart broken in the past. Because he’d spent years building up this emotional armor. Because he wanted to hide behind his rules and his solitude and call it freedom.