seated across the room at a booth in the back and strode forward, her back straight and her resolve ironclad. He stood when she reached the table, leaning in for a kiss. Alyssa turned her head at the last second and it landed on her cheek instead of her lips, where she was sure he'd intended.
Last night was a huge mistake. I shouldn't have let things go that far. It's all my fault .
“Connor, I'm glad you could meet me.”
“Of course, Lyssa. How are your seniors doing?” She heard the concern in his voice, and a little bubble of regret filled her. Connor was always concerned for those around him, a protector first and foremost. Damn, this was going to be hard. She stared down at her hands clenched in her lap. Hoping he wouldn't notice, she casually placed them on the table, forcing the tension from her grip.
“They're fine. Connor . . .”
“It's okay, babe. I get it.”
Alyssa's head jerked up at his resigned tone. “Get what?”
“I know why you wanted to meet here instead of your room or mine. Last night . . .”
Alyssa rushed to interrupt him. She couldn't let him tell her how much last night meant to him. Didn't dare let him know it was just as important to her, but it changed nothing. They couldn't be together.
“Last night was a mistake,” she whispered.
“Yeah, like I said, I get it. You were hurting emotionally and things got out of hand. I'd had too much to drink earlier and should have walked away.” Connor reached across the scarred tabletop and squeezed her hand. “As much as I'd like it to have meant something more, it was one night. Exes doing what exes sometimes do. I know it doesn't mean you want things back the way they were. Too much has happened to ever go back.”
Wait, what ? Connor was giving her the it's-not-you-it's-me speech. She'd come prepared to let him down gently, and he'd cut her off at the knees before she'd gotten a word out. Damn it, he's taking everything I planned on saying to him and turning it around on me. What the hell? Irritated that he'd stolen her thunder, a tiny bit of guilt ate at her conscience. Nothing was happening the way she'd rehearsed it in her head. Crap.
“One night of great sex does not a reconciliation make, Lyssa.”
“I'm glad you understand, Connor. I'm glad we were there for each other, but we can't do that again.”
She glanced around the half-empty coffee shop, at the stragglers of the tour group finishing their meals, killing time until the new driver and replacement bus were delivered by the travel company. They'd be back on the road, hopefully tomorrow morning, and be in New Orleans in a snap. They had one more overnight layover, not counting tonight, and then he'd go home and she'd go back to being miserable and alone. Yeah, what a great life. Maybe I'll become the spinster cat lady.
“I'll try to stay out of your hair until we're back home—I mean I'm back home. Until then, you've got my cell number, call me if you need me.”
With those words, Connor stood and strode away, never looking back. Alyssa sat with her mouth half open. She probably looked like a bug-eyed fish gasping for air, but he'd shocked her to the core. She'd met him, expecting to deal with pleas to reconcile, thinking last night meant more than it did. Instead, he'd verbally knocked her feet out from under her before she got a word in edgewise.
It hurt .
The burning pain in her chest couldn't be blamed on the greasy food from the coffee shop, since she hadn't eaten a bite. She knew exactly what caused the ache. It was her heart breaking all over again as the man she loved walked away.
# # # # #
Every step Connor took away from Alyssa was a knife gouging his insides like a dull blade, twisting to cause the most pain. He knew the minute his phone rang earlier that morning why she wanted to see him.
When he'd shown up at her room last night, he hadn't intended anything to
Last night was a huge mistake. I shouldn't have let things go that far. It's all my fault .
“Connor, I'm glad you could meet me.”
“Of course, Lyssa. How are your seniors doing?” She heard the concern in his voice, and a little bubble of regret filled her. Connor was always concerned for those around him, a protector first and foremost. Damn, this was going to be hard. She stared down at her hands clenched in her lap. Hoping he wouldn't notice, she casually placed them on the table, forcing the tension from her grip.
“They're fine. Connor . . .”
“It's okay, babe. I get it.”
Alyssa's head jerked up at his resigned tone. “Get what?”
“I know why you wanted to meet here instead of your room or mine. Last night . . .”
Alyssa rushed to interrupt him. She couldn't let him tell her how much last night meant to him. Didn't dare let him know it was just as important to her, but it changed nothing. They couldn't be together.
“Last night was a mistake,” she whispered.
“Yeah, like I said, I get it. You were hurting emotionally and things got out of hand. I'd had too much to drink earlier and should have walked away.” Connor reached across the scarred tabletop and squeezed her hand. “As much as I'd like it to have meant something more, it was one night. Exes doing what exes sometimes do. I know it doesn't mean you want things back the way they were. Too much has happened to ever go back.”
Wait, what ? Connor was giving her the it's-not-you-it's-me speech. She'd come prepared to let him down gently, and he'd cut her off at the knees before she'd gotten a word out. Damn it, he's taking everything I planned on saying to him and turning it around on me. What the hell? Irritated that he'd stolen her thunder, a tiny bit of guilt ate at her conscience. Nothing was happening the way she'd rehearsed it in her head. Crap.
“One night of great sex does not a reconciliation make, Lyssa.”
“I'm glad you understand, Connor. I'm glad we were there for each other, but we can't do that again.”
She glanced around the half-empty coffee shop, at the stragglers of the tour group finishing their meals, killing time until the new driver and replacement bus were delivered by the travel company. They'd be back on the road, hopefully tomorrow morning, and be in New Orleans in a snap. They had one more overnight layover, not counting tonight, and then he'd go home and she'd go back to being miserable and alone. Yeah, what a great life. Maybe I'll become the spinster cat lady.
“I'll try to stay out of your hair until we're back home—I mean I'm back home. Until then, you've got my cell number, call me if you need me.”
With those words, Connor stood and strode away, never looking back. Alyssa sat with her mouth half open. She probably looked like a bug-eyed fish gasping for air, but he'd shocked her to the core. She'd met him, expecting to deal with pleas to reconcile, thinking last night meant more than it did. Instead, he'd verbally knocked her feet out from under her before she got a word in edgewise.
It hurt .
The burning pain in her chest couldn't be blamed on the greasy food from the coffee shop, since she hadn't eaten a bite. She knew exactly what caused the ache. It was her heart breaking all over again as the man she loved walked away.
# # # # #
Every step Connor took away from Alyssa was a knife gouging his insides like a dull blade, twisting to cause the most pain. He knew the minute his phone rang earlier that morning why she wanted to see him.
When he'd shown up at her room last night, he hadn't intended anything to
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