don’t have to talk about that,” Nathan
cut in. He didn’t want to discuss the night his mother died. That
night had damaged his heart beyond repair. He had loved Paige so
much, consummating that love had ruined him for anyone else. And
then she had walked away like it never happened. Nathan forced back
the anger that wanted to rise. He didn’t want to hate Paige anymore
and he didn’t want her to hate him, either.
“I waited,” Paige went on despite his
protests. “Just like I promised you I would.” Her eyes begged him
to understand. “I never wanted anyone else. You were—”
Nathan sprang to his feet and turned his back
to her. “I don’t want to talk about this.” Pictures, words and
memories tumbled into his mind. “I thought you wanted to go from
here, not rehash the past.” Nathan tried to still the quaking he
felt, but it came from deep inside and he couldn’t prevent it.
“I need you to understand,” Paige insisted.
She got to her feet and moved around to face him.
Too close. He didn’t want her so close. He
almost took a step back, but her eyes held him still.
“I can’t bear all this bitterness any
longer.”
The wind shifted her soft hair over her
shoulders, tempting his fingers. Paige hesitantly touched his arm
and he shrugged away her touch. Nathan didn’t want her to touch
him. Her touch made him feel things he didn’t want to feel and long
for something he couldn’t have.
“Nathan, you don’t understand how much you
hurt me—”
“I hurt you?” His anger flared. It consumed
him, pushed away every other emotion, even the pain. “You just
don’t get it, do you?” He shoved his hands through his hair and
tried to calm himself, before he exploded into a thousand,
screaming pieces. “You walked away from me,” he ground out. “And
never came back. I thought…” He couldn’t say the words.
“Why would I want to come back?” Paige’s voce
rose sharply. “You didn’t need me.”
“I didn’t need you?” he asked, amazed that
she could say such a thing. He suppressed the shudder that
threatened to shake him. “Do you have any idea how—” His breath
jammed in his chest. He closed his eyes and concentrated on what he
needed to say. He let out a defeated little laugh before finally
allowing his gaze to meet hers again. “I even prayed.” He shook his
head. “Prayed for a miracle that never came.”
“You should’ve been praying for your own
two-timing soul, you arrogant idiot!” she shouted.
The woman was crazy! He hadn’t done a damned
thing. She was the one! The one who left. The one who never came
back. “What’d you expect, Paige?” He flung his arms heavenward.
“Did you think I’d come crawling to Memphis and beg you to have
me?” He shook his head and planted his hands firmly on his hips.
“Not in this lifetime, Blondie.” He pointed his finger at her. “We
made love and you never came back.” His words were flat and
bitter.
Paige flattened her palms against his chest
and pushed hard, forcing him to take a step backward. “You
mule-headed jerk! I tried to comfort you and you took advantage of
me.”
“Took advantage of you?” Nathan huffed an
indignant breath. “Nobody twisted your arm. You practically threw
yourself at me.”
“And it meant nothing to you!” She shoved at
him again, propelling him back another step. “You had your fun. But
as soon as I was back in Memphis you married the girlfriend you
failed to mention while you were making love to me.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He
grabbed her wrists and prevented her next shove. She wrestled to
free herself, but he held her tighter. “What are you talking about,
Paige?”
She glared at him through a sheen of tears.
Her lips trembled. Nathan had to restrain himself from covering her
lips with his own and soothing them into a sweet oblivion. “Tell me
what you’re talking about,” he demanded, more gently this time. He
loosened his grasp on her wrists
cut in. He didn’t want to discuss the night his mother died. That
night had damaged his heart beyond repair. He had loved Paige so
much, consummating that love had ruined him for anyone else. And
then she had walked away like it never happened. Nathan forced back
the anger that wanted to rise. He didn’t want to hate Paige anymore
and he didn’t want her to hate him, either.
“I waited,” Paige went on despite his
protests. “Just like I promised you I would.” Her eyes begged him
to understand. “I never wanted anyone else. You were—”
Nathan sprang to his feet and turned his back
to her. “I don’t want to talk about this.” Pictures, words and
memories tumbled into his mind. “I thought you wanted to go from
here, not rehash the past.” Nathan tried to still the quaking he
felt, but it came from deep inside and he couldn’t prevent it.
“I need you to understand,” Paige insisted.
She got to her feet and moved around to face him.
Too close. He didn’t want her so close. He
almost took a step back, but her eyes held him still.
“I can’t bear all this bitterness any
longer.”
The wind shifted her soft hair over her
shoulders, tempting his fingers. Paige hesitantly touched his arm
and he shrugged away her touch. Nathan didn’t want her to touch
him. Her touch made him feel things he didn’t want to feel and long
for something he couldn’t have.
“Nathan, you don’t understand how much you
hurt me—”
“I hurt you?” His anger flared. It consumed
him, pushed away every other emotion, even the pain. “You just
don’t get it, do you?” He shoved his hands through his hair and
tried to calm himself, before he exploded into a thousand,
screaming pieces. “You walked away from me,” he ground out. “And
never came back. I thought…” He couldn’t say the words.
“Why would I want to come back?” Paige’s voce
rose sharply. “You didn’t need me.”
“I didn’t need you?” he asked, amazed that
she could say such a thing. He suppressed the shudder that
threatened to shake him. “Do you have any idea how—” His breath
jammed in his chest. He closed his eyes and concentrated on what he
needed to say. He let out a defeated little laugh before finally
allowing his gaze to meet hers again. “I even prayed.” He shook his
head. “Prayed for a miracle that never came.”
“You should’ve been praying for your own
two-timing soul, you arrogant idiot!” she shouted.
The woman was crazy! He hadn’t done a damned
thing. She was the one! The one who left. The one who never came
back. “What’d you expect, Paige?” He flung his arms heavenward.
“Did you think I’d come crawling to Memphis and beg you to have
me?” He shook his head and planted his hands firmly on his hips.
“Not in this lifetime, Blondie.” He pointed his finger at her. “We
made love and you never came back.” His words were flat and
bitter.
Paige flattened her palms against his chest
and pushed hard, forcing him to take a step backward. “You
mule-headed jerk! I tried to comfort you and you took advantage of
me.”
“Took advantage of you?” Nathan huffed an
indignant breath. “Nobody twisted your arm. You practically threw
yourself at me.”
“And it meant nothing to you!” She shoved at
him again, propelling him back another step. “You had your fun. But
as soon as I was back in Memphis you married the girlfriend you
failed to mention while you were making love to me.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He
grabbed her wrists and prevented her next shove. She wrestled to
free herself, but he held her tighter. “What are you talking about,
Paige?”
She glared at him through a sheen of tears.
Her lips trembled. Nathan had to restrain himself from covering her
lips with his own and soothing them into a sweet oblivion. “Tell me
what you’re talking about,” he demanded, more gently this time. He
loosened his grasp on her wrists
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