Page 84 of Wild Love

"I can pay you. I just didn't think you'd want that either," Eli said slowly.

"I'll finish the show. I always follow through on my commitments." Except for my contract with Steve, but that was something else entirely.

"So this is it?" Eli asked, and I knew he was talking about us.

"How can I trust you? You're just one more person who wants to tell me what to do and where to live."

Eli grimaced. "It wasn't exactly like that. I hoped you'd want to stay, but I was prepared to let you go."

"How generous of you." I turned toward the door, my heart breaking in two. I loved Eli, and this was how he treated me? I thought he admired my spirit, but he wanted to contain it just like everyone else.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett," Eli said to my back as my hand turned the knob.

"I need to think." I couldn't while I was in his condo, smelling his scent and surrounded by memories of us.

"I can respect that."

I opened the door, and Eli took it from me, holding it.

"Can we talk later? After you've had some time to think about things?" His voice was pleading and sincere, but I wasn't sure how I'd feel later.

I stepped into the hallway and turned to face him. "I got a job offer today in Tennessee. It's a lead in a play I've done before. It would be easy just to step in and take over."

His forehead wrinkled, and pain flashed across his face. "You're going to take it."

"It's what I was waiting for." I was hoping I could talk to Eli and get some clarity. But everything I thought I knew about our relationship was wrong.

"I never meant to hurt you," Eli said.

I nodded because my throat was too tight to speak right now. Then I forced myself to walk away from him and unlock my door. Once I was safely inside, the tears fell. I slid to the ground in shock as to how he bought a theater without me knowing and intended to use it to keep me here. I couldn't believe that someone I loved could do that.

I thought he was different than my family. That he wantedme to be whoever and whatever I wanted to be. But he was just like the others. Everyone wanted to control what I did. The only way to be free was to take the job in Tennessee. This time, I'd save my earnings. Maybe I could buy my own theater one day.

Eventually, I forced myself to get up and move to the bedroom. I was hungry and thirsty, but I couldn't eat or drink. Everything hurt too much. Eli wasn't the person I thought he was, and I shouldn't have been shocked. We'd only been together for a short time. We weren't supposed to fall in love. I'd broken the rules, and this was to be expected.

I'd get over the betrayal eventually. But in the meantime, I'd figure out what I wanted to do. I tossed and turned. Every time I thought about leaving Telluride, it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest.

I didn't fall asleep until the sky was lighter. I eventually woke to my doorbell buzzing. I didn't want to answer because it could only be Eli, and I wasn't ready to talk to him again.

I padded to the door, not caring how I looked. I was positive my eyes were red and puffy from crying, my hair standing on end.

I opened the door to Marigold.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her as she stormed in.

I closed the door behind her.

Marigold spun to face me. "I heard that Eli bought the theater."

"He said you didn't know." My brain wasn't firing on all cylinders this morning. I moved toward the coffee pot, scooping beans into the machine.

"I can't believe he did that."

"Who buys a theater?" I asked her, happy to have someone else to hash this out with who appeared to be on my side.

Marigold deflated. “It’s kind of romantic."

My heartbeat slowed, and I turned to face her. "You think it's romantic to buy a building for someone?"

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