the victim in all of this. Nothing I say to them could paint you in a bad light. I did sleep with your best friend, and that’s why you couldn’t get out of Deer Lake fast enough. Hell, you’ll come out of it looking even better, so I don’t know why you’re worried. You should be pushing me to talk to the media. Think of all the new songs you’ll get out of this.”
A stab to her heart couldn’t have hurt more than his words did. “Is that what you think of me? After all we’ve been through, is that all you think of me? You believe that I’m back here to eke out some more heartache and song lyrics, Ethan, that I looked forward to reliving the nightmare of ten years ago so I could grab a few songs for my next album? After all, the well might be dry now so maybe you and I could relive old times, or maybe even drum up something new and painful and I could go platinum again. It’s all about using each other, isn’t it? Because that’s what you really think of me, isn’t it? That it’s all about the fame and the money.”
He didn’t answer, which was, she supposed, his answer.
She flicked her gaze to the doorway and there stood his mother, his father and his brothers.
Great. Did they all believe the same thing about her?
The walls seemed to close in on her. She couldn’t breathe.
She had to get out of here. Now.
Chapter Six
Riley did what she’d always done best. She ran.
She turned and escaped from the room, grabbed the door handle and fled out the front door, realizing as soon as she did that she’d forgotten her coat and that’s where she’d slipped the keys to the rental car.
No way was she going back inside that house. Instead, she sprinted past the car and down the street, not even noticing the temps outside until she slowed down to a brisk walk. She hadn’t even felt the tears streaming down her cheeks until she was struck by how cold her face was. Her sweater and jeans were no match for the frigid evening temperature, and once her flushed anger ebbed, she realized she was freezing.
She stopped, automatically shoved her hand into her jeans, then rolled her eyes. She’d slipped her cell phone in her coat pocket, too.
She had no one to blame for this fiasco but herself.
She’d acted like a child in there, tossing accusations and arguing with Ethan just like she had with him before she’d run out of town ten years ago. She had a right to be angry at Ethan. The things he’d said to her were unforgiveable. What she should have done was stand her ground and tell him exactly what she thought of him. But no. She’d had to play the victim and run out of the room all hurt.
The running part she was really good at.
Old hurts and angers. Some things didn’t change, and some hurts could never be repaired. If she was smart, she’d turn around, go back to Ethan’s house and suck up the embarrassment, grab her coat and keys and drive home. It was over a mile walk back to the bed and breakfast and she was not dressed for that.
But dammit, he’d hurt her, and she would not go crawling back there. She had her pride and she refused to humiliate herself any further. It wasn’t like she was going to die in a mile. Uncomfortable, yes. Dead, no. She’d send someone over for the car and her coat tomorrow.
Shivering, it didn’t take a block and a half before her ears began to sting and she was certain her toes were going to end up with frostbite.
What was the temperature outside anyway?
Okay, maybe a mile in this cold was a little far.
When the first snowflakes started to fall, she laughed.
Perfect.
Dumb, Riley, really. Next time you decide to storm off in a huff, grab your coat first.
She saw headlights and wondered if it was someone she knew. She was so cold she’d offer up an autographed guitar to whoever drove her back to the bed and breakfast.
The car slowed and pulled to the curb. She stilled when the window rolled down.
It was Ethan.
“Riley, get in.”
She thought for all of a
A stab to her heart couldn’t have hurt more than his words did. “Is that what you think of me? After all we’ve been through, is that all you think of me? You believe that I’m back here to eke out some more heartache and song lyrics, Ethan, that I looked forward to reliving the nightmare of ten years ago so I could grab a few songs for my next album? After all, the well might be dry now so maybe you and I could relive old times, or maybe even drum up something new and painful and I could go platinum again. It’s all about using each other, isn’t it? Because that’s what you really think of me, isn’t it? That it’s all about the fame and the money.”
He didn’t answer, which was, she supposed, his answer.
She flicked her gaze to the doorway and there stood his mother, his father and his brothers.
Great. Did they all believe the same thing about her?
The walls seemed to close in on her. She couldn’t breathe.
She had to get out of here. Now.
Chapter Six
Riley did what she’d always done best. She ran.
She turned and escaped from the room, grabbed the door handle and fled out the front door, realizing as soon as she did that she’d forgotten her coat and that’s where she’d slipped the keys to the rental car.
No way was she going back inside that house. Instead, she sprinted past the car and down the street, not even noticing the temps outside until she slowed down to a brisk walk. She hadn’t even felt the tears streaming down her cheeks until she was struck by how cold her face was. Her sweater and jeans were no match for the frigid evening temperature, and once her flushed anger ebbed, she realized she was freezing.
She stopped, automatically shoved her hand into her jeans, then rolled her eyes. She’d slipped her cell phone in her coat pocket, too.
She had no one to blame for this fiasco but herself.
She’d acted like a child in there, tossing accusations and arguing with Ethan just like she had with him before she’d run out of town ten years ago. She had a right to be angry at Ethan. The things he’d said to her were unforgiveable. What she should have done was stand her ground and tell him exactly what she thought of him. But no. She’d had to play the victim and run out of the room all hurt.
The running part she was really good at.
Old hurts and angers. Some things didn’t change, and some hurts could never be repaired. If she was smart, she’d turn around, go back to Ethan’s house and suck up the embarrassment, grab her coat and keys and drive home. It was over a mile walk back to the bed and breakfast and she was not dressed for that.
But dammit, he’d hurt her, and she would not go crawling back there. She had her pride and she refused to humiliate herself any further. It wasn’t like she was going to die in a mile. Uncomfortable, yes. Dead, no. She’d send someone over for the car and her coat tomorrow.
Shivering, it didn’t take a block and a half before her ears began to sting and she was certain her toes were going to end up with frostbite.
What was the temperature outside anyway?
Okay, maybe a mile in this cold was a little far.
When the first snowflakes started to fall, she laughed.
Perfect.
Dumb, Riley, really. Next time you decide to storm off in a huff, grab your coat first.
She saw headlights and wondered if it was someone she knew. She was so cold she’d offer up an autographed guitar to whoever drove her back to the bed and breakfast.
The car slowed and pulled to the curb. She stilled when the window rolled down.
It was Ethan.
“Riley, get in.”
She thought for all of a
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