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Two Months Ago…
Chapter 15
S eeing Hope in the lobby at 1:03 that afternoon, I felt my world quake. She strode with absolute confidence, unwilling give up the slightest indication of her true thoughts or feelings, while I struggled to keep my shit together. It didn’t help that she was the only image of perfection I had ever known.
“Sorry about last night,” I said, shrugging once she was close enough to hear me. “How crazy did Matt get once you got home?”
She waved me to a bench in the lobby, which could mean nothing but bad news. Not a stroll in the park, not an invitation to a nearby restaurant. A shitty bench with all of these people around us. I sat down, but she remained standing. Yup, bad news.
“You’re not hungry?” I asked.
“Cameron, please,” she said, the wariness in her tone signaling defeat, surrender. “I just want to apologize. I’m not hungry, I’m tired.”
“Food will give you energy.”
At last, a half-smile tickled the edge of her mouth, followed by a sigh, which essentially nullified any sign of her softening shell.
“My condo is a couple blocks away.” I pointed out the window, remembering the diner I passed yesterday en route to the Bat Cave. “I’ve got some tasty left overs I could reheat…”
She massaged her temples, closing her eyes for a moment before snapping them back to me. Her resolve returned with a ferocity I knew only as Hope. “Cameron, this needs to stop.”
“Lunch is an important meal, Hope. Why won’t you let me feed you?”
“Not the lunch, goob,” she said, but no smirk or other hint of lightheartedness reached the surface like I had expected. “All of this crazy shit. About us. I’m sorry, but I can’t keep doing this.”
“Doing what?”
She placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me the sternest stare I had ever known from her. “Matt was right. I need you to understand something. You and I need to stop. You need to move on. I need to move on. It’s not fair to Matt that you and I have reconnected.”
“You’re moving away soon enough, so what’s the harm?”
“It’s not fair to anyone. You shouldn’t risk your marriage with Riley. You and I, we had our shot. We missed it. It’s time to let go and move on.” She gave me a curt nod, then turned to walk away, but I seized her wrist and pulled her back.
“I’ve still got something like fifty minutes before I’m expected back from lunch,” I said. I tried to keep the desperation out of my voice. “Let’s talk about this.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Cameron. I need to go.” She yanked her wrist free, pulling it so hard that I almost fell off the bench. Her strength surprised me. I had forgotten just how strong she could be. I covered up my fumble by standing and following her to the elevators.
“Then I’m coming with you,” I said.
“No, you’re not.” She hit the button for the elevators, then stepped aboard the first one.
I followed her in.
“You won’t get past the hallway without a special key fob. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking you’re full of shit, Hope.” I meant it, too. “I’m thinking you’re working really hard at pushing me away, testing me. And nobody works that hard at something that should be easy. Which tells me it’s not something you want. You don’t want me to disappear; you want me to keep fighting, to never let go. Because if we weren’t meant to be together, pushing me away wouldn’t be so hard, would it?”
The elevator stopped. I followed Hope into a hallway. She walked toward a single doorway at the end of that hall.
“Hope, give me forty-five minutes,” I begged. “Let’s talk this through.”
She reached the door and turned around. I saw that her eyes were a little moist. This was not fun for her. How could I have ever questioned that? She kept her voice low, almost a whisper. “This isn’t fair to Matt. He’s a good man. He’s
Two Months Ago…
Chapter 15
S eeing Hope in the lobby at 1:03 that afternoon, I felt my world quake. She strode with absolute confidence, unwilling give up the slightest indication of her true thoughts or feelings, while I struggled to keep my shit together. It didn’t help that she was the only image of perfection I had ever known.
“Sorry about last night,” I said, shrugging once she was close enough to hear me. “How crazy did Matt get once you got home?”
She waved me to a bench in the lobby, which could mean nothing but bad news. Not a stroll in the park, not an invitation to a nearby restaurant. A shitty bench with all of these people around us. I sat down, but she remained standing. Yup, bad news.
“You’re not hungry?” I asked.
“Cameron, please,” she said, the wariness in her tone signaling defeat, surrender. “I just want to apologize. I’m not hungry, I’m tired.”
“Food will give you energy.”
At last, a half-smile tickled the edge of her mouth, followed by a sigh, which essentially nullified any sign of her softening shell.
“My condo is a couple blocks away.” I pointed out the window, remembering the diner I passed yesterday en route to the Bat Cave. “I’ve got some tasty left overs I could reheat…”
She massaged her temples, closing her eyes for a moment before snapping them back to me. Her resolve returned with a ferocity I knew only as Hope. “Cameron, this needs to stop.”
“Lunch is an important meal, Hope. Why won’t you let me feed you?”
“Not the lunch, goob,” she said, but no smirk or other hint of lightheartedness reached the surface like I had expected. “All of this crazy shit. About us. I’m sorry, but I can’t keep doing this.”
“Doing what?”
She placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me the sternest stare I had ever known from her. “Matt was right. I need you to understand something. You and I need to stop. You need to move on. I need to move on. It’s not fair to Matt that you and I have reconnected.”
“You’re moving away soon enough, so what’s the harm?”
“It’s not fair to anyone. You shouldn’t risk your marriage with Riley. You and I, we had our shot. We missed it. It’s time to let go and move on.” She gave me a curt nod, then turned to walk away, but I seized her wrist and pulled her back.
“I’ve still got something like fifty minutes before I’m expected back from lunch,” I said. I tried to keep the desperation out of my voice. “Let’s talk about this.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Cameron. I need to go.” She yanked her wrist free, pulling it so hard that I almost fell off the bench. Her strength surprised me. I had forgotten just how strong she could be. I covered up my fumble by standing and following her to the elevators.
“Then I’m coming with you,” I said.
“No, you’re not.” She hit the button for the elevators, then stepped aboard the first one.
I followed her in.
“You won’t get past the hallway without a special key fob. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking you’re full of shit, Hope.” I meant it, too. “I’m thinking you’re working really hard at pushing me away, testing me. And nobody works that hard at something that should be easy. Which tells me it’s not something you want. You don’t want me to disappear; you want me to keep fighting, to never let go. Because if we weren’t meant to be together, pushing me away wouldn’t be so hard, would it?”
The elevator stopped. I followed Hope into a hallway. She walked toward a single doorway at the end of that hall.
“Hope, give me forty-five minutes,” I begged. “Let’s talk this through.”
She reached the door and turned around. I saw that her eyes were a little moist. This was not fun for her. How could I have ever questioned that? She kept her voice low, almost a whisper. “This isn’t fair to Matt. He’s a good man. He’s
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