Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
T hat same familiar dread curled through his system as he walked up the stairs to Freya's house. He already knew what he had to do; he just had to break the news. The coward in him had wanted to text her, leave a voicemail, but he had been raised better than that, and he had to talk to Freya and hope she understood.
She met him at the door before he had time to knock. Her face was bright and happy. But when she looked at him, and took in his solemn expression, he watched her face change. Her beautiful eyes darkened, and the corners of her mouth dropped.
He wanted to go back to yesterday, before the email, before the phone call. He felt so guilty for not telling her before they'd made love. Then she'd gone back home for a change of clothes, not before asking him to join her family for another meal. He'd agreed, knowing he wouldn't stay long enough to enjoy Greer's cooking.
"What's wrong?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets. He couldn't risk touching her and falling apart. "I got the official offer from the developers."
She leaned against the doorframe and nodded. "That's why you were acting weird. You're going to take it."
"I don't know. It's so much more than I was expecting. I don't know what to do."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "You have to do what is best for you and what you feel is right. This is your decision to make."
He nodded. Every muscle in his body wanted to reach out and pull her close. "They want an offer by the end of the week. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I need to get away to think about it."
"I understand." She gazed at his car, and her eyes widened at the boxes piled high in the back seat. There was no room left in his car for anything else. He was taking everything of value with him- just in case he didn't come back.
He watched as she gulped and her eyes misted over. "Well, it was fun while it lasted."
He scratched the back of his head, wanting to promise her things he wasn't sure he could deliver. "You are a very special woman, Freya Montgomery. Don't ever forget that."
She gave a half-hearted smile. "Me? I'm just a dairy farmer's daughter." Then she reached over and gently pressed a kiss to his cheek, before pulling away, and closing the door firmly behind her.
He took a moment to steady his breathing, before walking slowly down the stairs, hoping that at any second, she would run out and stop him. But as he opened his car door and slid inside, he knew she wasn't going to come.
He started the car and put it in gear, then bumped along the muddy driveway, before turning onto the road that would lead him to the city. There was no turning back now.