Page 82 of Rival Hearts

He reared back and drew a hand down his face, but not before I saw the surprise in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw the text message from your agent the other day. I know about the LA job offer.” Ginger had reappeared and was weaving herself between my legs. I scooped her up, burying my face in the cat’s fluffy fur so I didn’t have to see the indecision flash across Grady’s face. Obviously, he’d never meant for me to find out. Another rip frayed the edges of my heart. “I think you should go to LA. Take the job. It’s a great opportunity for you. There’s nothing keeping you here except a half-assed race for mayor.” I took a deep breath. “You never wanted any of this, anyway. It just kinda happened.”

“Anyof this?” His jaw clenched. “What’s that mean?”

“The mayor job. You ran to piss me off. It worked. Job well-done. And, I don’t know, whatever’s been happening with us. We were never serious. I get that. No need to spell it out now.”

“DidIsay that?” He stepped toward me. “Where the hell is this coming from, Maggie? How did you come to the conclusion I don’t want to be with you?” His brown eyes blazed with hurt and anger.

I looked away. I didn’t want to see those things in his eyes. Instead, I clung to the surprise and indecision I’d read on his face a minute ago. “Were you going to take the job in LA?”

He rubbed his cheeks and sighed. “I don’t know. I haven’t had enough time to think about it. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you.”

“Little Falls will never be enough for you.” What I wanted to say wasIwould never be enough, but I held the words close to my heart.

“I never said that. Don’t do that. Don’t put words in my mouth.” He reached for me.

I stepped to the side. If he touched me, I’d go up in flames. Let him and this feeling consume me, and my heart would be burned to a crisp when he left. “I don’t want to do this anymore. Go toLA. Take the job. It’s okay. I’m telling you it’s okay. You don’t owe me anything.”

He shook his head, and his frustration was palpable in the room. “I don’t want to fight with you right now. You’ve got a lot going on.”

“We’re not fighting.”

“Trust me. We could be fighting right now.” Grady stole my calming move by drawing his index and thumb down the center of his chest. In any other circumstance, the motion would have made me smile. The action softened my resolve the tiniest bit to see another reminder he’d been paying attention to.

His gaze bored into me. “I’m deep breathing the shit out of my inner monologue to keep from saying all kinds of crap that’ll probably piss you off. I don’t want to fight.”

“What would we even fight about? You want to go. I’m telling you to go.”

“Come with me.”

“What?”

“Come to LA with me.”

I dragged my hair into a ponytail and twisted it into a fist before letting it fall. “I can’t do that.” Even if I could, having him ask after I’d outed him didn’t show he wanted me along but rather he was attempting to salvage something between us. I had a business, and I was the mayor of the goddamn town. I couldn’t pick up and leave on a whim. I wasn’t him.

“Why not?” He shifted closer, and the scent of wintergreen enveloped me.

“Grady, you’re being ridiculous. I’m not mad, okay? I’m just done. You don’t need to try to make me feel better. We had fun for a little while, but something better came along, and you want that. I get it.”

“I haven’t accepted the job.” He huffed out a breath. “You’re really fucking frustrating right now.” He shoved his hands inhis pockets and took a deep, steadying breath. “But there’s a lot going on, and this job offer is another thing to add to the pile. That’s part of the reason I didn’t tell you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I was wrong. I should have told you. I should have told you right away, clearly. I didn’t want you to get hurt by something I wasn’t even sure I wanted.”

“Tell me you don’t have any urge to leave.” I’d heard the way he talked about his travels, how much he loved being on the road, and deep down, he must know I’d hold him back. “Tell me, and be honest, that the idea of leaving doesn’t appeal to you at all.”

“I know what I want. Are you telling me you don’t want to be with me? And are you saying this because your dad died or because that’s really how you feel?”

He couldn’t even answer my question. Of course he wanted to leave. Isn’t that what Trent had told me? And it’s not like I hadn’t experienced it firsthand already.

“I think you should go,” I whispered. “I need you to go.” Numbness was sweeping over again, saving me.

“Maggie,” he pleaded. “We need to talk about this.”

“You’re going to leave. I never expected you to stay. I’m trying to make it easier on both of us. I can’t do more hard things right now. Please, just go.”

His gaze was hot on me for a few moments, and silence sat between them. “I’ll go,” he murmured. “It’s been a long couple of days for you. I get it. I don’t want to make things worse. But I don’t agree with whatever version of us you’ve got in your head.”

“The real version is in my head, finally. I might have said I’d travel the world, but the truth is that Little Falls has my heart. This is where I belong. I’m never going to leave, and you’re never going to stay.”

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