him, feeling as though she’d been sucker punched. Reed wanted the divorce? Now ? How could he even consider it after all they’d shared last night?
Her voice was as frayed as a worn rope. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s the way it has to be, Cass. I see that now. I can’t give you what you need.”
Cassie shook her head, as though the act would help her make sense of what he was saying. It only made her dizzy and more confused. “What do you mean you can’t give me what I need? Last night you let me in, Reed. You really spoke to me. You re-established a connection. That’s all I’ve ever needed from you.”
“You’re wrong. There’s something else you need that I can’t ever give you.”
“Like what?”
Reed turned his gaze to the crystal-clear waters around them. “This. This place is your home, Cass. It’s not right for me to take you away from it. It wasn’t right the first time, but I did it because I didn’t know better. Now I’ve seen you here. I’ve seen how you love the ocean, how you love to sail. It’s in your soul, and I won’t ask you to leave it again.”
“That’s my decision to make, not yours.” Cassie reached up to frame his face with her hands, turning it so he was once again looking at her. “I love you, Reed. I’ve loved you since our first date. I want to give our marriage another try.”
He let out a heavy breath. “Oh, Cass. I love you too. I always will. That’s why I’m letting you go. Up here in the Whitsundays you’re free. In Sydney you’re hemmed in, landlocked most of the time. If you come back with me you’ll eventually resent it and we’ll be back to where we were before you left. At least if we do it now, it’s less painful than it will be a few more years down the road.”
“You think?” Cassie took a step back, putting distance between them. She glared at Reed, this man who was giving up on their marriage without a fight. Again. “Because I don’t see how it’s possible for something to hurt worse than this does. What was that all about last night? If it wasn’t about us getting back together, why the hell did you make love to me like you did?”
“Because I couldn’t not do it. I’m sorry, Cass. Somewhere in the dark hours I knew it would have to be our last night together, but I couldn’t deny myself one last taste of you.” He lifted a hand and stroked it over her hair. The expression on his face was so full of adoration it tore at Cassie’s heart. “You were so beautiful.”
“You bastard.” The heat of a volcanic anger rose within her and Cassie smacked his hand away. “How could you make me love you again only to do this to us?”
She brushed past him, barely resisting the urge to push him overboard in a fit of rage. But tears stung her eyes as well, and she knew what she felt wasn’t sheer fury.
Beneath her frustration and anger, she was truly, utterly heartbroken.
*****
Cassie was crying again.
She tried to hide it, but with a sidelong glance Reed noticed the way she surreptitiously stuck her fingers beneath her sunglasses to swipe at her eyes. A jagged rock of emotion lodged itself in Reed’s throat, but he stifled the instinct to go to her. He was the cause of her distress. He’d lost the right to offer comfort.
Up ahead, Abel Point Marina loomed, the town of Airlie Beach stretching out beside it. Even the main business centre was picturesque. Everything here was perfect, drenched in sunlight and nautical-themed charm. Didn’t Cassie see that a life with him could never come close to competing with a life in paradise? Better they admit that now than a few years down the road when they’d both invested more in the relationship, when they’d possibly brought children into it.
At the thought of the kids he’d never have with Cassie, Reed’s own eyes stung. They’d talked about starting a family a few times but had both decided to wait until they’d saved a little more money and found their dream house.
Her voice was as frayed as a worn rope. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s the way it has to be, Cass. I see that now. I can’t give you what you need.”
Cassie shook her head, as though the act would help her make sense of what he was saying. It only made her dizzy and more confused. “What do you mean you can’t give me what I need? Last night you let me in, Reed. You really spoke to me. You re-established a connection. That’s all I’ve ever needed from you.”
“You’re wrong. There’s something else you need that I can’t ever give you.”
“Like what?”
Reed turned his gaze to the crystal-clear waters around them. “This. This place is your home, Cass. It’s not right for me to take you away from it. It wasn’t right the first time, but I did it because I didn’t know better. Now I’ve seen you here. I’ve seen how you love the ocean, how you love to sail. It’s in your soul, and I won’t ask you to leave it again.”
“That’s my decision to make, not yours.” Cassie reached up to frame his face with her hands, turning it so he was once again looking at her. “I love you, Reed. I’ve loved you since our first date. I want to give our marriage another try.”
He let out a heavy breath. “Oh, Cass. I love you too. I always will. That’s why I’m letting you go. Up here in the Whitsundays you’re free. In Sydney you’re hemmed in, landlocked most of the time. If you come back with me you’ll eventually resent it and we’ll be back to where we were before you left. At least if we do it now, it’s less painful than it will be a few more years down the road.”
“You think?” Cassie took a step back, putting distance between them. She glared at Reed, this man who was giving up on their marriage without a fight. Again. “Because I don’t see how it’s possible for something to hurt worse than this does. What was that all about last night? If it wasn’t about us getting back together, why the hell did you make love to me like you did?”
“Because I couldn’t not do it. I’m sorry, Cass. Somewhere in the dark hours I knew it would have to be our last night together, but I couldn’t deny myself one last taste of you.” He lifted a hand and stroked it over her hair. The expression on his face was so full of adoration it tore at Cassie’s heart. “You were so beautiful.”
“You bastard.” The heat of a volcanic anger rose within her and Cassie smacked his hand away. “How could you make me love you again only to do this to us?”
She brushed past him, barely resisting the urge to push him overboard in a fit of rage. But tears stung her eyes as well, and she knew what she felt wasn’t sheer fury.
Beneath her frustration and anger, she was truly, utterly heartbroken.
*****
Cassie was crying again.
She tried to hide it, but with a sidelong glance Reed noticed the way she surreptitiously stuck her fingers beneath her sunglasses to swipe at her eyes. A jagged rock of emotion lodged itself in Reed’s throat, but he stifled the instinct to go to her. He was the cause of her distress. He’d lost the right to offer comfort.
Up ahead, Abel Point Marina loomed, the town of Airlie Beach stretching out beside it. Even the main business centre was picturesque. Everything here was perfect, drenched in sunlight and nautical-themed charm. Didn’t Cassie see that a life with him could never come close to competing with a life in paradise? Better they admit that now than a few years down the road when they’d both invested more in the relationship, when they’d possibly brought children into it.
At the thought of the kids he’d never have with Cassie, Reed’s own eyes stung. They’d talked about starting a family a few times but had both decided to wait until they’d saved a little more money and found their dream house.
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