The shit’s about to hit the fan. Nate took a swig of his beer. “We need to change the date of the wedding, Lauren.” Sugarcoating the truth would do no good.
Lauren laughed and broke her cupcake in half. “Real funny.”
He hadn’t expected her not to believe him. “Lauren, I’m not joking.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “We need to push it up. I need to be in Quantico on the 15th.”
“Can’t it wait till after the wedding? What are you going down there for anyway?”
“HRT’s tryouts. I got official word today.”
Lauren reached for the guitar pick earring in her left ear. “Speak English, Nate. What’s HRT?”
“The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team.” So far Lauren had remained remarkably calm through the conversation. “It’s the Special Forces of the FBI,” he added, when the confused look remained on Lauren’s face.
“And every office has one of these teams?” The words came out slowly, and he knew he needed to share the rest.
“No. The team is divided into three units, but all are stationed down in Quantico. If I make it, we’ll move down there.”
Lauren nodded once as she withdrew her hand from his. “There is no if about it. When you decide to do something you never fail, Nate. We both know that.”
The sound of her voice, distant and emotionless, sent icy spikes of dread up his spine. “Anything is possible. It’s a rigorous trial. Most agents don’t make the cut.”
“You said you just got official word today. So you’ve known about this for a while, haven’t you?”
The fact that she didn’t appear overly concerned about the wedding date worried him. He’d expected an argument about pushing the date up. He had not anticipated her main concern to center on his possible reassignment.
“I’ve planned on trying for the team since I applied to the FBI, but I didn’t know if I’d ever get the chance. Right before we went up to New Hampshire a rumor started going around that they were holding tryouts this summer.”
“So, that whole line you gave me about being back for good was bull? You’ve always known you would leave.” Lauren walked away from the table. When she reached the railing she turned back around. “You asked me to marry you and didn’t bother to tell me any of this first?”
“When I said that, I meant it. The team doesn’t hold tryouts on a regular basis, so I didn’t know if I’d ever get the chance. Besides, the team is selective. They don’t pick everyone.” Shouting and outbursts of anger he could handle. This cold, detached attitude he didn’t know how to approach. “When I heard the rumor, I figured it didn’t matter. Who cares where we live anyway? You always said you wanted to move away from New England.” Nate joined her by the railing, but when he reached for her she avoided his arms.
“I was a teenager when I said that.”
“Come on, Lauren. This doesn’t really change our plans.” He reached for her again. This time he got his arms around her waist. “We’ll get married before I go. If I make it we’ll buy a house down there and move. If I don’t we’ll stay here until we need a bigger place.”
Lauren laughed, a bitter hollow sound that had him tightening his hold on her.
“You just don’t get it. You’re still thinking of only yourself just like before. Maybe I don’t want to move. My life is here, Nate.”
“It’s Virginia, not the North Pole. You can make the drive in less than a day.”
Before he could stop her, she pushed away from his arms. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
She slipped the engagement ring off her finger and his heart parachuted out of his chest. “Come on, sweetheart. You don’t mean that. You’re mad. I get it. Let’s talk about it and then get some sleep. Tomorrow I’ll help you change everything for the wedding.”
She pulled his hand toward her and dropped the ring in his open palm. “Nate, there’s nothing to talk about.”
Fear and frustration collided head-on inside him. “Don’t do this.”
Lauren’s tear-filled eyes met his. “I didn’t do anything. You did. Once again, you figured you knew what was best for both of us. Just like after high school.”
“That’s—”
“I need some space. You can sleep in the guest room tonight.” She wiped the tear away from her cheek. “I’ll go to Newport this weekend by myself. When I come back, you can’t be here.”
His legs suddenly sprouted roots. He watched in silence as she walked into the house and closed the door behind her. Lauren loved him. He clenched his fists, the diamond ring biting into his skin. Tomorrow they’d talk and get everything straightened out. She just needed a little time tonight.