Chapter 6
Griffin
I woke before dawn, Lucy curled against me like she belonged there.
That was the problem... she felt too right, too perfect. And things that felt right never lasted for men like me.
Carefully, I slid out from under the covers, trying not to wake her. She made a small sound of protest in her sleep, reaching toward the space I’d just left, and it took everything I had not to crawl back in beside her.
Instead, I pulled on my clothes and escaped to the kitchen.
The coffee maker’s gurgle filled the cabin, but it couldn’t drown out my thoughts...or the memory of her wrapped around me, whispering my name, looking at me like I was something more than I am.
How she had... I let that thought stop before it took me some place I shouldn’t go.
The storm had died down overnight. The plows would come through soon. She’d leave, go back to her real life, and I’d go back to mine.
Better to end it now. Before...
Before what?
Before I fell for her?
Too late, a traitorous voice whispered in my head.
"Morning."
I turned. She was standing in the doorway wearing my shirt again, hair adorably mussed from sleep...and from my hands. The sight of her hit me like a punch to the gut.
"Roads should be clear soon," I said, turning away.
Silence stretched between us.
"That’s... that’s what you’re going with? Really?"
"It’s the truth," I said, eyes on the coffee pot.
"Look at me,” she said.
"Coffee’s ready."
"Griffin." Her voice cracked slightly. "Please look at me."
I did, immediately wishing I hadn’t.
She looked hurt, confused, and still so goddamn beautiful it ached.
"Last night..." she started.
"Was a mistake," I said, each word heavier than it should have been. They tasted like ash on my tongue.
She flinched like I’d slapped her. "A mistake?”
"You were cold. Lonely. I was... convenient."
"Convenient?" She laughed, but it was a sharp, bitter sound. "Is that what you think? That I just needed someone to warm the bed?"
I shrugged, forcing my face to stay neutral. "Storm’s over. You can leave whenever you’re ready."
She stared at me for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Right. Message received. Loud and clear."
She turned to go, then stopped.
"Just one thing... you’re a coward, Griffin. And a fucking liar."
"Excuse me?"
"You’re lying. To me. To yourself." She met my eyes, hers bright with unshed tears. "Last night wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t convenience. And you know it."
"Lucy..."
"No." She held up a hand. "Save it. I’ll get dressed and be out of your hair in ten minutes. You can go back to your perfectly ordered, perfectly lonely life."
She walked away, bare feet silent on the wooden floor.
I gripped the counter, knuckles white, every muscle screaming at me to go after her.
It’s better this way, I told myself.
Better to end it now. Before she realized what a mess I really was.
Before she left anyway.
When she returned, dressed in her own clothes again, she didn’t look at me. She gathered her things quickly, folding my shirt and sweatpants neatly and leaving them on the couch.
At the door, she finally turned.
"Thank you for letting me stay. For the record, I don’t regret it. Any of it. But I do regret thinking you might actually be brave enough to want something more.”
Then she was gone, headed toward her car as fast as she could walk without running.
And her fucking car started on the first try... because of course it did. The universe clearly wanted her away from me as fast as possible.
I watched from the window as she drove away, taking what felt like all the warmth in the cabin with her.
When her taillights disappeared around the bend, I slumped against the wall.
"It's better this way," I said aloud.
The empty cabin didn't answer.