“I have to!” she said, standing. She swayed slightly, and he reached to steady her, his hand cupping her shoulder. Misery and helplessness went through him when he saw her pain.
“You’re not running away from Addie Durand’s world. You’re running away from me. I know I’ve disappointed you—”
“You have never disappointed me,” she exclaimed, shuddering. “I love you. You’re perfect.”
“But you’re still going to run,” he realized with a sickening sense of finality.
She sniffed and brought her trembling under control. “You can contact me on my cell phone if there’s an emergency. But I called that man—Charlie Towsen, the chief legal guy for Durand—this morning. You can correspond with me about anything you think is crucial in regard to Addie through him—”
He shut his eyes. Jesus. She was back to saying Addie’s name like she was another person.
“—and I’ve promised Towsen when I find out the results of the genetic testing . . .”
“Don’t do this, Alice. Do you really think I give a damn whose daughter you are?”
“Do I think it’d make a difference to you whether I was Alan Durand’s or Sebastian Kehoe’s daughter?” she flared. “Yeah, I do, given what I know about your past. You were like Alan Durand’s adopted son. You would have done anything to prove yourself to him.”
“You’re wrong. You’re mixing everything up in your head.”
“I don’t want to fight with you,” she insisted shakily. She paused, trying to gather herself. He sensed her slipping away, and he’d never felt so defenseless. “Being with you was like being in a dream . . . the best dream in the world,” she gasped. Looking undone, she thrust the piece of paper she was clutching against his abdomen. He grasped it without thinking. She started to walk past him.
“Alice.”
She paused a foot away from the door, her head lowered. She didn’t turn around.
“Do you think you’re the only one that this is hard for? I’m no more of an expert at trust, or relationships, or the long haul than you are. But I’ve figured out one thing. What’s between us is real. You feel it. I know you do. You and Sidney can call it some kind of residue from our past, or guilt, or fucking insanity if you want to, but it’s not going to change what’s there. I loved Addie Durand because she was the first person in the world who loved me without question or thought. That’s what came to her as natural as breathing. But I fell in love with you, even though you fought me and questioned and distrusted every step of the way, because I loved your strength and your independence, and yeah . . . even your goddamn prickliness. The bond between us isn’t going to break,” he assured her grimly. “No matter how much craziness we might have to deal with from Durand Enterprises or the press or Sebastian Kehoe’s sentencing or trial. It’s sure as hell not going to break if you walk away right now.”
She stood there, her shoulders slumped and her head lowered. After a moment, she straightened her spine, lifted her head, and walked out of the room. He wasn’t surprised she did it, necessarily. He knew her well.
That didn’t stop it from hurting like fire.
He just stood there, feeling hollowed out in matter of minutes. Eventually, he noticed that he held something.
He separated the paper from two staples and tilted the makeshift envelope. Alan Durand’s silver chased lighter landed in his hand. He carefully opened the piece of paper. She’d only written two sentences.
It’s from both of us, Alan and me. You will always be my knight in shining armor.
TWENTY-FOUR
THREE WEEKS LATER
Doby frisked around her legs as she tried to help Maggie carry in the groceries.
“Cut it out, Doby,” Maggie scolded as she heaved multiple bags on the kitchen counter. “You’re going to put the girl back in the hospital, tripping her up that way. Silly dog, come here.”
Alice laughed as Maggie’s beckoning cleared the path for her. “I’m not that fragile anymore. Thank God. How did the test go?” she asked, referring to an exam Maggie gave her grad school class in statistics. Alice had helped her make up the test.
“I haven’t even looked at them yet. I’ll get to them tonight,” Maggie said, putting away a gallon of milk.
“I’ll grade them for you,” Alice said, lifting some bananas out of a bag. “My bruises are almost faded, so I’d be happy to teach a few classes for you early next week, too, if you like. Earn my keep.”