Then they’d started having problems, Cassie had started pushing for him to talk all the damn time and he’d gotten increasingly frustrated with her. The more she’d pushed, the tighter he’d shut her out. At the time, he hadn’t seen the point in talking about things you couldn’t change.
He hadn’t been right about that. Last night when he’d told Cassie about Mikaela, it had made a difference. Not to Mikaela, it was too late for her. The change had occurred in him. He’d felt lighter, more open. When he’d made love to Cassie afterward, it had seemed as though it was the first time they’d ever truly made love, with their bodies, hearts and souls exposed. At least that was true for him. Cassie had always made love like that. She’d always given freely, while he’d taken what she offered and given only physical satiation in return.
Cassie deserved love—pure, selfless love. He hadn’t given her that at any point during their marriage. Another reason you have to let her go, Dalton. She deserves better.
Long before he wanted it to be, their cruise was over. Cassie switched to using the yacht’s motor and eased into the mooring they’d left six days ago. Not quite a week, but Reed felt as though he’d lived half a lifetime since he’d last set foot on this particular jetty. He’d come here determined to reclaim his wife, to take her back to Sydney with him where she belonged. Somewhere along the way he’d had to face the fact she was already right where she was supposed to be.
The best thing he could do for her now was to leave her be, give her a chance to move on.
His mind careered away from that thought and the mental image it conjured of Cassie with another man, perhaps pregnant with that other man’s child. He had to get off the damn boat and leave before he weakened and doing the right thing for Cassie didn’t seem as important as making himself feel better. He went below deck and grabbed the bag he’d already packed. Then he rose out of the hatch and into the North Queensland sunshine for the last time.
Cassie was on the wharf, her arms folded over her chest. She didn’t look at him as he jumped off the stern rail onto the wooden planks beside her. Reed was gutted, made speechless by a fierce sense of loss. He knew that walking away from Cassie would leave a hole in his heart that would never be filled by anyone else.
He steeled himself against the self-pity that threatened to develop. Toughen up, Dalton. “I’ll never forget this time with you, Cass. I hope you find happiness.”
She was still wearing her sunglasses, but even so she refused to meet his eyes. She looked off to the left, at nothing in particular. Her voice was flat. “Just go, Reed. I can’t take this anymore.”
Swallowing past the dry restriction in his throat, Reed turned and strode off, feeling like he’d left his heart, the love of his life, on the jetty behind him.
Chapter Nine
Cassie slept on the boat that night, unwilling to go to the three-bedroom house she’d shared with her divorced cousin and her daughter for the past year. Louise was bound to see Cassie’s red-rimmed eyes and ask a lot of questions, and Cassie didn’t think she could handle that, not so soon after Reed had walked out of her life.
He’d walked out of her life. He’d thrown in the towel as far as they were concerned. Had it hurt this bad when she’d done it to him?
As much as she wanted to blame Reed for everything, Cassie had a host of recriminations for herself. Perhaps if she hadn’t left him twelve months ago, had instead forced him into counselling or something, perhaps they would have stood a chance. Maybe separation, her running away to Airlie, wasn’t the best move.
But then they would never have had this past week, which Cassie couldn’t bring herself to regret. She couldn’t wish away their last night together, when all the walls between them had simply fallen away, leaving two people who didn’t want to live
He hadn’t been right about that. Last night when he’d told Cassie about Mikaela, it had made a difference. Not to Mikaela, it was too late for her. The change had occurred in him. He’d felt lighter, more open. When he’d made love to Cassie afterward, it had seemed as though it was the first time they’d ever truly made love, with their bodies, hearts and souls exposed. At least that was true for him. Cassie had always made love like that. She’d always given freely, while he’d taken what she offered and given only physical satiation in return.
Cassie deserved love—pure, selfless love. He hadn’t given her that at any point during their marriage. Another reason you have to let her go, Dalton. She deserves better.
Long before he wanted it to be, their cruise was over. Cassie switched to using the yacht’s motor and eased into the mooring they’d left six days ago. Not quite a week, but Reed felt as though he’d lived half a lifetime since he’d last set foot on this particular jetty. He’d come here determined to reclaim his wife, to take her back to Sydney with him where she belonged. Somewhere along the way he’d had to face the fact she was already right where she was supposed to be.
The best thing he could do for her now was to leave her be, give her a chance to move on.
His mind careered away from that thought and the mental image it conjured of Cassie with another man, perhaps pregnant with that other man’s child. He had to get off the damn boat and leave before he weakened and doing the right thing for Cassie didn’t seem as important as making himself feel better. He went below deck and grabbed the bag he’d already packed. Then he rose out of the hatch and into the North Queensland sunshine for the last time.
Cassie was on the wharf, her arms folded over her chest. She didn’t look at him as he jumped off the stern rail onto the wooden planks beside her. Reed was gutted, made speechless by a fierce sense of loss. He knew that walking away from Cassie would leave a hole in his heart that would never be filled by anyone else.
He steeled himself against the self-pity that threatened to develop. Toughen up, Dalton. “I’ll never forget this time with you, Cass. I hope you find happiness.”
She was still wearing her sunglasses, but even so she refused to meet his eyes. She looked off to the left, at nothing in particular. Her voice was flat. “Just go, Reed. I can’t take this anymore.”
Swallowing past the dry restriction in his throat, Reed turned and strode off, feeling like he’d left his heart, the love of his life, on the jetty behind him.
Chapter Nine
Cassie slept on the boat that night, unwilling to go to the three-bedroom house she’d shared with her divorced cousin and her daughter for the past year. Louise was bound to see Cassie’s red-rimmed eyes and ask a lot of questions, and Cassie didn’t think she could handle that, not so soon after Reed had walked out of her life.
He’d walked out of her life. He’d thrown in the towel as far as they were concerned. Had it hurt this bad when she’d done it to him?
As much as she wanted to blame Reed for everything, Cassie had a host of recriminations for herself. Perhaps if she hadn’t left him twelve months ago, had instead forced him into counselling or something, perhaps they would have stood a chance. Maybe separation, her running away to Airlie, wasn’t the best move.
But then they would never have had this past week, which Cassie couldn’t bring herself to regret. She couldn’t wish away their last night together, when all the walls between them had simply fallen away, leaving two people who didn’t want to live
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