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“It felt kind of inevitable, Nora. We didn’t know at the time that you and your dad were trying your best to stay afloat. We only knew the rumors and the fact that you had applied for a loan.”
“But you decided not to, right?”
They exchange glances. Landon gives a low whistle. “It was up for debate.”
I hold up my hand.
“So, you signed a lease with me. You watched my dad and I work our asses off to try to make sure that you didn’t take one fucking cent—” They all wince at my use of language, which is a tiny bit satisfying. “—and you… what? You were just going to wait for us to fail? Hanging out until the corpse of the Foster Ranch was ready for you to pick over, like fucking jackals?”
“Again,” Shane says, looking at Clint. “It was up for debate.”
“Debate. Were you debating that when you decided to sleep with me?”
“Nora,” Landon starts, but I hold up my hand.
“No. Do not talk to me. Don’t even… don’t even think about talking to me ever again. The lease still has terms, so we’ll honor them, but if you so much as speak one single word to me ever again…” I hate that my voice is shaking.
I hate that my heart, which felt so high not even twenty minutes ago, feels like it’s been trampled by a stampede.
They were just… fucking with me. There’s no other explanation. I thought that each one of them actually cared about me. I thought that they were being nice to me and my dad, helping us, because they were good.
Not because they were playing with me like a cat with a mouse. Not because they were sitting back, secretly waiting for me to fail, so that they could swoop in and buy the ranch from under me.
Shane takes a step forward, but I step back. “No. I’m dead fucking serious. Do not talk to me. I don’t want to know. I don’t want you to talk to me or my dad. I don’t want your help with anything.”
“You’re in danger, Nora,” Clint growls. “We need to protect you.”
I laugh. “Seriously? You think that I need protection from an ex-boyfriend?”
“Yes,” Shane says darkly. “He almost killed?—”
“The only protection I need is from you three,” I snarl.
With that, I spin. I march out of the house, letting the screen door slam behind me. I start up my SUV, the engine roaring to life as I tear down their drive.
I gulp in air, trying my best to keep the tears from my eyes.
Try to pretend your heart isn’t breaking.
As much as I repeat it, though, it becomes harder. I can’t pretend.
My heart, at this moment, is very much breaking.
CHAPTER 18
Shane
After Nora storms away, I round on the guys. “Way to fucking go, Clint.”
“What the hell do you mean?” he barks. “You’re the one who told her this shit!”
“She deserved to know,” Landon says defensively. “She deserved to know that we might have felt that way once, but we don’t feel that way now.”
“Except she doesn’t know that, does she?” I snap at him. “She’s walking out, thinking that we’re absolute fucking assholes who just waited for her to fail.”
“Well, that’s what we were doing, all because you wouldn’t give up your stupid vision of buying her ranch!” Landon shouts at Clint.
Clint bristles. “Don’t fucking bring me into this.”
