Page 98 of Tough Love

“Nope, no can do. Why are you doing this? Letting her leave, for fuck’s sake?”

I inhale and blow out the breath. The ache in my chest that appeared the second Addy walked up the steps intensifies.

“You can’t seriously be okay with her leaving and going back to that Adam guy?”

“Addy’s a smart girl. She’s not going to go back to him.” I back out of the cupboard and push to my feet. “She is going back to her life, Reed. Her career. Adam isn’t a factor. That much I know.”

“And what about you? What do you get?”

I glare at him.

I get the ranch.

I get “the empire,” as Morley put it.

I get nothing.

Absolutely fucking nothing. I swallow, my throat almost closed with emotion.

“Huddo, I know you. I know her. This”—he waves his hands wildly between me and his truck—“is not what either of you want!”

“What I want doesn’t matter, Reed!Addymatters. And what she needs is to get the hell out of dodge before she loses everything she has ever dreamed of and getsstuckhere. End of story. Now get out of my house.”

“You’re one stubborn motherfucker, you know that, right?”

He spins on his heel and walks out, shaking his head. But when his truck pulls away, all I can do is stare at the floor. I always knew Addy was mine. But I never thought letting her go would be this goddamn hard.

I move the next cupboard into place. But my head is fuzzy, too big, the air too thin. A vice tightens around my heart.Staggering through a handful of breaths, I grip the side of the unit. I turn and slide down the unit and rest my head back on the smooth finish before slamming the heels of my palms over my eyelids.

Her stunning brown eyes are all I see. And the hurt that lanced through them.

What the fuck have I done?

Chapter Twenty-Eight

ADDY

Justin stares at me. “No.”

“Fine, can I at least finish out the week?”

“Fine, but no more equine visits. Only in-house clients.”

I have no idea what the hell he is playing at, but my contract isn’t up for another week and a half. And now he wants me gone early? Did Harry have something to do with this? Did Adam showing up make them think that I was dishonest with Hudson?

Because I told him everything about Adam and me. And that Adam and I have been over since before I came here is a fact Hudson is well aware of. It is also not like him to cause drama or share personal information with other people, especially the likes of Justin Morley. He barely tolerates him.

“Can I ask why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you want me gone before my contract is up? I don’t understand.”

“It’s not me who wants you gone, it’s New York who wants you back, Adeline. I got an email from the guy who runs the equine clinic you were working at before you came here. For god knows what reason, they are desperate to have you back.”

“Oh,” is all I can say.

Joe emailed? That’s unlike him. He was onboard with mygarnering experienceplan. Unless...

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