AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don't want you to be stubborn.” While I love her independence, I need her to know that I’ve got her, no matter what.
“You are so frustrating,” she says, rubbing her head like I give her a headache. When I step closer, she takes a step back, and it only increases my worry.
“If you are going to leave Whispers…”
“I'm not leaving Whispers!” she shouts, her hands flying out to her sides.
“Then why are you signing a lease?” I demand, then take another step closer. She doesn’t move away this time, only huffing as she shakes her head at me.
“Because, like I said, I needed a backup and building protocol says I need to sign for twelve months. If I could only sign for a few months instead, I would. What are you not understanding?”
“What are you not understanding?I’myour backup,” I tell her again. The look on her face could sear me to the spot, but even so, I step forward a little more.
I am not sure how much clearer I can make it. I will pay for everything she needs. I will get her anything she wants. This woman came into my life like a whirlwind, and I want her in it forever.
“I almost married a man I stupidly thought was my support in life and look how that turned out!” she yells, her gaze on mine as she now looks up at me.
“Don't be putting me in the same sentence as thatasshole,” I grit out. I swear to God, I am going to pick her up and not let her go.
“You can't pay for me to live, Tanner. I need a job,” she says, taking a deep breath as her tone eases.
“I can, and while I want you to be fulfilled in your career, I want you to know that I’ve got you. You can do whatever you want in life to make yourself happy. Money doesn’t need to be a concern. I’ll catch you, baby girl.” Bringing myself one last step away, we’re now toe to toe. I need to touch her, be close to her.
“I need to catch myself,” she says softly, but now she won’t look at me. My frustration settles in my chest, and I rub the ache.
“You are so damn stubborn,” I say, shaking my head, exasperated.
“You are so demanding,” she counters, and any softness I may have brought to the surface completely dissolves.
“Hell yes, I am. Now rip it up.” My voice rises, and I see her shoulders tighten. My heart is thumping. I have never wanted anything more in my life than this woman, and I am aching to secure our future together. But she won’t let me.
She doesn’t respond for a moment, and the silence has me on pins and needles. Instead, she bends down and picks up her bags, walking past me, snatching the paperwork from my hands as she heads for the door.
“I’m done talking about this, Tanner. Let’s go.”
Neither of us won this one, and I know neither of us feels good about it either. I watch the empty doorway she steps through, feeling sick to my stomach. Her independenceand stubbornness are the things I admire most about her, and now they are working against me.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I walk after her, locking the apartment up, and hoping like hell I didn’t just fuck this all up already.
44
TANNER
It’s been a week since New York and we have become professionals at not addressing the elephant in the room. Once we landed back in Whispers, we shared a long kiss and a look of understanding, and that was that. Life has gone on as normal, and while that settles me, I still feel slight unease that she has a backup plan that isn’t me. And I still don’t like that we haven’t spoken more about it. That I haven’t given her the apology she deserves.
I step back from the love seat I have made her and admire my work. I have been spending late nights at the distillery under the cloak of working, but really, I have been making this for Victoria.
“Tanner?” Her voice is unsure as she opens the back door to her deck. I tried to be quiet. I knew she was on the phone with her mom, but I drove over and placed this on her deck, wanting it to be a surprise, and just finished wiping it down.
“Hey, baby girl,” I say sheepishly as she walks out the door and stops short, her pretty eyes widening.
“What is that?” she whispers, taking another tentative step toward me and the new timber love seat that now adorns her deck.
“I made it,” I tell her, and she looks at me sharply before looking back at the seat. “For you.”
“It’s just like my sketch…” she says in awe, running her fingers across the finish.
“I know. I saw it on your kitchen counter a while ago.”
