Page 115 of Finding Forever

The quiet acceptance in those two words nearly broke her heart. “I’m sorry, Dave.”

“So am I.”

Beth pressed her lips together. “I wish I could be different.”

“I don’t.”

She frowned.

Dave’s eyes met hers. “I don’t want a different woman.”

Her breath caught.

He looked away, dragging one hand across the back of his neck. “But I’m not going to pressure you into something you’re not ready for.”

“What if I’m never ready?”

Dave went still. For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Finally, he looked at her. “Then I’ll have to live with that.”

Beth blinked away fresh tears.

“But I’m not going to pretend I don’t care about you,” he continued. “And I’m not going to tell you that what we’ve had these last few months didn’t matter. Because it did.”

“It mattered to me, too,” Beth whispered.

“I know.”

Dave picked up his keys from the small table beside the sofa. The quiet jingle seemed unnaturally loud. He walked toward the hallway, and Beth followed.

At the front door, Dave stopped.

Neither of them moved.

Beth’s heart pounded as she looked at him. For one terrible second, she thought he might kiss her goodbye. And part of her desperately wanted him to.

Instead, Dave reached for the door handle. “Take the time you need, Beth. And when you figure out what you want, tell me.”

Beth’s fingers curled against her palms. “What if it’s not you?”

Dave’s hand tightened around the door handle. The pain returned to his eyes, but he didn’t look away. “Then tell me that, too.”

He opened the door.

Beth couldn’t let him leave like this. “Dave.”

He turned.

“I do love you.”

For several seconds, he simply looked at her. Then he nodded. “I love you, too.”

Beth stopped breathing. She’d imagined hearing those words from him, but not like this. Not when she was sending him away.

Dave gave her the smallest, saddest smile. “And that’s why I’m leaving.” He stepped outside.

Beth remained in the doorway as he walked toward his truck. Every instinct told her to call him back, and for one agonizing second, she almost did.

Dave opened the driver’s door and glanced toward her.