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“Well, I’m not!” She shoved at his chest, and his back hit the sink. Pain radiated up his spine, but it had nothing on the pain in his heart.
She blinked up at him, and his resolve waned. He snaked his hand around her waist and yanked her to him. Their mouths met in frenzied passion, and Shane was too weak to pull away. He thrust his tongue into Olivia’s mouth, grabbing her hair and tilting her head for a better angle.
She met his thrust with her own, their tongues a tangled mess of heartache and need. He loved this woman, and he couldn’t be weak for her. He reached deep for the strength to push her away, but it was right out of his grasp.
Her fingers dug into his back, and he lifted her, planting her ass on the sink. Her heel pushed into his back, forcing him closer. Her perfect breasts pressed against his chest. The vision of her pert pink nipples was a sweet, sweet memory. All he had to do was reach for the hem of her shirt, and he could relieve every perfect inch of her.
But fear of what he couldn’t change or control grabbed him by the throat. That strength that was out of his reach suddenly was close enough to seize.
He ran his hands up her arms, savoring the feel of her one last time, before tightening his grip and stepping back. “This is a mistake.”
The disappointment in Olivia’s eyes was the equivalent to a direct kick to the balls. She slid off the sink, adjusted her clothes, and ran a finger along her mouth. She nodded and went to walk out when she stopped, turning to face him. “Why don’t you stop lying to me now and be honest.”
***
There was no way in hell she was walking out of this bathroom without answers. He didn’t get to kiss her like that and then declare it was a mistake.
How could he want to deny himself what they had? Why was he punishing them? She waited for his answer, needing to know what it was that was making him run from them.
His chin fell to his chest, and he sighed. “I lived a good portion of my life in and out of hospitals, and I would never wish that life on anyone. I watched my mom give everything up for me, and when she was finally free of taking care of me, she got sick and died. She lost her life for me. If I get sick again, I couldn’t expect you to live that life.”
Unbelievable. He wouldn’t even let her make that choice on her own. “I have no say in any of this?”
“It’s for the best.”
“That’s a load of crap and you know it. You’re scared. And I get that, but I’m willing to take that risk. I love you.”
A spark lit his eyes, and she felt like she was finally getting through to him. She needed him to see that she didn’t care about any of it. All she cared about was having him in her life.
“And will you still love me if I have wires hooked up to my nose and mouth? Will you love me if the chemo makes me so sick, I don’t even have the strength to get out of bed to throw up? Will you love me then?”
The thought of seeing strong and healthy Shane, weak and sick unable to get out of bed hurt her heart. She sucked in a breath at the awful thought of Shane being crippled by a horrible disease.
“That’s what I thought.” Shane spun toward the door and sidestepped her.
“No, that’s not what…”
It was too late. He was already gone.
Chapter 22
Shane tossed what little clothes he had into his duffel bag. He had no idea where he was going, but he couldn’t stay in Morgan’s Bay. He’d ruined everything that was good about this place, and he couldn’t stick around and see Olivia every single day. He didn’t need the reminder that he let go of the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He could call her, go to her, beg her to forgive him, but she was right. He was scared. Scared of repeating the past and watching another person sacrifice everything for him. Nobody was worth that sacrifice, and he couldn’t let her think he was.
He looked around the house that had become a home in such a short time. He’d miss the stability and the comfort of the walls. He’d miss the nights when Olivia was curled up in his arms and he fell asleep, knowing she’d be the first person he saw when he woke.
He heard a car door, and his heart skipped a beat.Stupid. Even if it was Olivia, he had to be strong. A strong knock echoed through the house, and Shane went to the door. Shock rattled his insides as he stared back at the last person he ever imagined seeing again.
Grandfather stood in all his arrogance, tie tightened around his neck and draped over a crisp white shirt. A navy blazer sat against matching dress pants and gave way to brown shoes that probably cost more than what Shane had earned at the bar for the entirety of his time there.
The man looked as unfriendly as he was with the hard set of his mouth and the indifference in his eyes. Shane had nothing left to say to him. Shane stepped away from the door, leaving it open. If he wanted to come in, he could do so. It was his property after all.
“I’ll be out of here by the end of the week. I know that’s what you want.”
Grandfather made his way around the couch, finger dragging along the fabric as if he was going to dust check. He quickly shoved his fingers back in his pocket. “That’s not what I want.”
Shane came to a halt, his head spinning. “It’s not?”
