At Any Price(114)

“Maybe he was being a good friend. A concerned friend.”

“What has him so concerned? If he told you that I was shriveling into nothingness up here while pining away for you, then he’s a damn liar,” I said with a bit more heat and vehemence than I would have liked.

He walked for a few beats but didn’t look at me. “Not at all.”

“So what did he say to you?”

“He said that you had moved away. That you were thinking of backing out of your exam.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. Fucking Heath. He had forced this confrontation, preying on Adam’s conscience. Adam wouldn’t even have shown up if he didn’t feel responsible. “And why do you care whether or not I take the test? I thought you were through with me.”

He hesitated. “Maybe I feel responsible for your plans not going through.”

I shot him a sharp look. “Well, don’t. It’s my life, my decision.”

“So you are going to take the test?”

I hesitated, bought time by coughing into my fist. “Of course. I already paid for the damn thing and it wasn’t cheap.” It was true, after all. I’d kept pushing it off but finally decided to commit myself by sending in the registration. The date was getting closer and I still didn’t know if I’d make the trip to show up.

“Good,” he said quietly.

My chin came up. “Yeah, so now that your guilt is alleviated, you can get back to your life down there.” He was quiet, but I just couldn’t shut up. Man, I wish I had shut up. “I mean, your show of contrition is touching and all, but I’ve got other things to take care of around here rather than babysit a fake guest and get my mom’s hopes up that people are actually interested in staying here again.”

He stopped walking and turned to me, clearly insulted. “I was honestly interested in staying here and I am planning a segment hike.”

I shook my head. “You are taking a month away from work and your computer to do that?”

He shrugged. “Maybe I’m taking longer.”

I laughed in disbelief. “And maybe I’m the Queen of England.”

He shot me a heated glare and we walked in silence until he hit the summit of the trail—a ledge that overlooked the valley below us. We weren’t really high up, but high enough to get a nice view of the sunset, the high desert landscape all bathed in angry reds and oranges.

Adam stood, squinting over the canyon. I glanced up at him, memorizing his handsome face. A dry desert wind blew up here, stirring our clothing and hair. He spoke in a quiet, almost reverent voice. “So since we are going to be on the same premises together for the next few days, and for your mom’s sake, can we call a truce?”

I folded my arms. “I’ll be perfectly nice to you. Just stop trying to get me alone because we really don’t have anything to say to each other.”

“Really. Nothing at all?” he said mildly.

I shifted, hating how petty I sounded. I cleared my throat and looked down. “Except that I honestly hope that you and your family are well.”

He glanced at me and returned to admiring the view. “Thank you. They are.”

I took a deep breath and let it go. “And…I hope you do find happiness. I—I never said that before but I’ve wanted to. I hope…” and my voice died out. I wasn’t going to wish him happy with Lindsay because, let’s face it, I wasn’t Mother Teresa. I couldn’t go that far.

He turned to me, waiting for me to say more and when I didn’t, he spoke. “Maybe I’m already happy.”

Pain seized me. I couldn’t look at him. “Then great,” I said in a tiny voice.

He turned and watched me closely. “And you?”

I shrugged. “I’m getting there.” Another long pause, then I cleared my throat. “We’d better get going. It will be dark soon.”

I turned to leave but was brought up short when he reached out for my arm to stay me. His touched burned my skin and I flinched. I turned back to him and he said, “I was serious. I took a leave of absence from the company.”

To say I was shocked was an understatement. I opened my mouth and then closed it. “For how long?”

He shrugged. “As long as it takes to prove to myself that I can do it.”

“And how is that working out for you? Any withdrawal symptoms yet?”

He did not look amused and I realized the inappropriateness of my joke. I looked away. “There you go again, Mia,” I said. “Putting your foot in it as usual.”

He ran a hand through his hair and looked at me. The boyish vulnerability I saw there almost ripped my heart, still beating, right out of my chest.