It was she who had no one.
Tears gathered in her eyes and she tried to blink them away. Hadn’t she already cried herself out? How much moisture did the human body have at its disposal?
But there was no stopping the drops that ran down her cheeks. Though her heart still beat there was nothing in her chest but a barren wasteland. She’d never been here before. As a teen, she thought she had, but now she saw it wasn’t true. She’d never faced the desolation of losing everyone she truly loved. And the person she’d usually talk to about things this huge was out of her life now. She couldn’t pick up the phone and call him. Couldn’t turn up on his doorstep or sleep in his guest room.
Walker wasn’t hers anymore.
She gasped for breath, the shock still fresh.
“I’m a good person,” she said. “I did the right thing.”
Then why did it feel so wrong?
Wiping her eyes, she paced restlessly around the apartment. She knew she’d done the best thing for everyone. Everyone but her.
She stopped in the middle of the room.
She always did this. Putting others above herself. Watching as they thrived while she starved. She was always standing on the outside looking in. But what if just once she made a different decision? One that was selfish and greedy and unforgivable.
But utterly right?
Hunter should be raised by the people who loved him the most, and with that criteria, she more than qualified. Walker deserved a partner who knew him well enough to close the door when he needed to focus and to pull him into the world when he needed a break. No one would ever love him as much as she did, and what had she done? Walked away without a fight because it was the right choice. Right, but not best. She was what was best for him. She just needed him to see it.
How do I do that?
The answer was as terrifying as walking away from him had been.
I need to fight for him. And if he turns me down, then I’ll know, once and for all, that he never loved me.
The idea of facing the truth, no matter what it may be, chilled her to the bone. What chance did she have going up against the goddess that had given him a child? But if she didn’t try, she’d always wonder what would have happened if she’d talked to him. If she hadn’t told him never to call her again. What would happen if she told him she loved him to his face?
“Dammit.” She ran a hand down her face. There was no way this would end well, but for better or worse, she needed to see it through to the end. It was the only way she’d ever be able to move on. Hadn’t she spent a lifetime searching for the truth?
Now she needed to face her own.
Go now. Go before you lose your nerve.
Grabbing her purse, she ran for door and burst into the hallway.
Only to stop abruptly.
“Walker.”
He must have just stepped out of the elevator but there he was, halfway down the hall looking just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.
Though they’d only been apart a day, her eyes drank in the sight of him.
“What are you doing here?” she called to him.
The shock drained from his features as a look of determination took its place. He strode forward, his gaze never leaving hers. She hadn’t even realized she’d backed up until her back hit her own door.
He crowded into her space, close but not quite touching.
“Hey,” he greeted with burning eyes.
“I…I thought you would have found my note by now.”
“I did.”
She swallowed. “I thought I said you didn’t need to find me.”
“You did.”
“Walker,” her voice cracked, “what are you doing here?”
“I’m a terrible listener.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Then you should have been prepared for me to drop by,” he said.
“Looks like I’m not as smart as I thought I was.”
“I don’t know. This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”
Her fingers itched to reach up and brush away the hair falling over his eyes.
“Should we take this inside then?” she asked. “Wouldn’t want to put on a show for my neighbors.”
“What a brilliant idea.”
“I have my moments.” Reaching behind her, she turned the knob and escaped backward into her home.
Walker followed, closing the door behind him. Though he’d been in her apartment a thousand times, suddenly he made the space shrink around them. Trying for distance, she retreated to the kitchen, curling her fingers around the faux marble countertop.
You were going to go find him. Well look. He found you first. Don’t let that stop you.
Because she needed to convince him they belonged together.
Even if he’d just come to say goodbye.