He unlocked the keypad and opened the door, turning on the lights and letting her in.
“It used to be a combination bar/restaurant,” he explained as she walked in. “It closed about six months ago. It fits your parameters for space and location.”
She gave him a quizzical look. “I don’t understand.”
“You could rip out the current bar here,” he said, leading her inside. “Put the stage you talked about in the center here. There’s already a great kitchen. Come on, I’ll show you.”
She grabbed his wrist. “Wait. What are you talking about?”
“Your music club.”
“What music club?”
“The one you want to open. The second Riley’s. If you don’t like this one, I’ve got two others lined up to show you.”
“You’ve got…You went looking for locations for a club?”
He grinned and shoved his hands in his coat pocket. “Yeah. Isn’t this space great? I have to admit this one’s my favorite, but the others aren’t bad. Wait till you see the kitchen. And there’s plenty of electrical.”
Her smile died. “No.”
“What?”
“No.”
“You don’t like this place? That’s okay. We can go look at the others.”
“I mean no. To all of it.”
His stomach tightened. “Why?”
“I don’t want any of this, Ty. If I’d wanted a club, I’d go looking for locations on my own.”
Irritation spiked. “Okay. You don’t want my help.”
“I don’t want to do this at all. Quit pushing me.”
“Right. Because God forbid you should move forward with your life.”
She lifted her chin. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said. I was trying to help, to show you some great places so you could take that step forward, take a shot at having what you really wanted.”
“That’s a lot of presumption on your part.”
“Is it? We’ve talked about this for months. You know this is what you really want.”
“If it’s what I really want, and that’s a big if, I’ll do it on my own. I don’t need you to help me. I don’t need you for any of this.”
He’d been wrong. About her, about everything. All this time he’d spent trying to help Jenna, trying to coax her into finding her own happiness, and she was throwing it back in his face. All the plans he’d made, assuming…
That’s what he got for assuming she felt the same way he did.
“You know what, Jenna? You’re right. You don’t need me. You don’t need anyone. You never did.”
She lifted her chin. “You’re right. I don’t need you or anyone else trying to push me into something I’m not ready for. I’m tired of everyone nudging me, trying to force me into this. Just stop it. I like my life the way it is, so leave it alone.”
Tears glistened in her eyes and the fear was so evident there he wanted to hold her, but he was angrier at her than he was sorry for her.
“That is such bullshit. You hate your life the way it is, you hate being stuck behind that bar, but you’re too damned afraid to do anything to change it. You were afraid to go out with me, afraid to fall in love with me. Well you know what? I was afraid, too. You’ve met my parents. You know that story and you know how their marriage failed. The last goddamn thing I ever wanted was to fall in love. But you know what? I did anyway. I fell in love with you.”
Her eyes widened, but he refused to acknowledge it. “And you know what happens when you fall in love with someone? You want to help that person. You want that person to grow. You want what’s best for them.
“All you’ve done is keep me at arm’s length the whole time we’ve known each other because you’re afraid. Well I’m fucking tired of tiptoeing around your fear. So you win. I’m done.”
He turned and walked toward the door and opened it. “The door will lock itself when you walk out.”
He shut the door and walked away.
JENNA STOOD IN THE BUILDING AND STARED AT THE hanging wires, the dust and debris of what once was a thriving business, but now was nothing more than an empty shell.
That’s how she felt inside as she heard Ty’s car start up and drive away.
An empty shell. Destroyed like this building.
He loved her. He’d done all this for her, all this research and legwork and she’d caustically thrown it back in his face as if it had meant nothing to her.
He’d been so excited. This had been his surprise.
Then she’d let him walk away, because she was afraid. Afraid to take a shot at having the career she wanted, and afraid to reach out and grab the kind of love she’d always dreamed of.
She’d missed her chance.
She bit back the tears. She didn’t deserve to fall apart. This aching misery she felt was all her doing.
Instead, she turned and walked out the door.