Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“If I stay, I’ll always be Worth Stapleton.”
Sam made a frustrated noise. “You’re Worth Stapleton in San Francisco too. And you were Worth Stapleton before your mother’s disappearance, and you’ll be Worth Stapleton wherever you live.”
Ouch. He wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t like his point one bit. “But I can be less…prominent elsewhere with fewer reminders every damn day of what I lost.”
“Or what you gained.” He spread his hands wide. “Maybe you don’t see it, but you’ve been healing these last few weeks. You’ve put on needed weight. Your skin tone is better, you’re sleeping deeper, you’re eating more foods, you’ve found a dog who adores you, you smile more, and you seem far happier.”
“I am. But I can take my meds in the Bay. Buttercup can come. And if I had you, I’d keep on being happy. It’s you that makes me happy, not Safe Harbor.”
“You make me happy too.” Sam sounded way sadder about that than I would have thought, which made my pulse thrum with a desperation I’d never felt before, even at my lowest. I couldn’t lose him. I couldn’t. He was the only thing that had gone right for me in years.
“Then make me happier and come to San Francisco.”
“And watch you be miserable?” Sam’s eyes were shiny, and he swiped at them. “Help you run away instead of healing?”
“I thought you wanted to be with me.” My voice was as small as I felt.
“I do. I love you, Worth, and I’m not afraid to say that.” His voice was firm, but I didn’t have a chance to thrill over his words before he continued. “I want to build a life with you, a family, a partnership.”
“There’s any number of places where we could do that.” The irritation in my tone was only going to push him further away, but I didn’t know how to rein it in. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you either, but I have to wonder if you really know me at all.”
“I do.” Needing something to hold on to, I gripped the metal shelving hard enough to leave imprints on my palm. “And I love you too. Can’t you at least think about coming with me?”
“Can’t you at least think about staying?” he shot back. My body bowed, physically recoiling from his anger. I hadn’t ever seen Sam angry. Frustrated, sure, and protective earlier with the true-crime junkie, but not angry. And his displeasure was all directed at me, probably with good reason.
“I wish I could.” I looked down at my shoes, the same loafers I’d had since my arrival. “Maybe I’m not what you need.”
“Worth.” Sam’s tone was gentler now, but it felt more like pity. He stepped closer, hands flexing, then stopped his approach to stare down at me. “You could be. You are. You’re more than enough right now, but you can’t see it, and I can’t make you.”
There wasn’t enough oxygen in this room for both of us. My breath came in shallow gasps, my throat so tight it was a wonder any air was making it through. Sweat ran down my back.
“I’ve got to get out of here. Need to breathe.”
“Okay. Want to go for a walk? Or a drive?” Sam’s face was creased with concern, but his offer felt like yet another instance of him thinking he needed to take care of me. And he’d rejected my efforts to be the one taking care of him. I loved him so much that my whole body ached, yet I couldn’t stand to look at his gorgeous face for another second.
“Alone. I need to be alone.” I tried to move past him, but he blocked the door.
“Where are you going to go?” He sounded as pained as I felt. “Worth, talk to me. Stay. Don’t do something we’ll both regret.”
“I’m not going to do something stupid. I don’t need a babysitter. And I know you think you know better than me what I need, but right now, I need to be alone. I can’t think, and I need to think.” My words came too fast and my hands shook. I wouldn’t blame Sam if he didn’t believe me. I sure sounded like I was falling apart.
However, instead of restraining me, Sam stepped aside. “Okay. But be safe? Please.”
“I will.” I licked my lips. I wanted to touch or kiss him, but I’d crumple like a wet napkin if I gave in to the impulse. As it was, I could barely make my feet plod forward. The time had come. I had to leave, but where I was going, I had no clue.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sam
After Worth left, I went through the motions of closing the shop on autopilot. I sent a terse not going to make it text to Holden about trivia night, typing with stiff fingers and cloudy brain. Thank goodness for George and Marta’s help because, left to my own devices, I might have forgotten to lock up.