Page 74 of Bear's Heart

She nodded once.

“I’m sorry about how things worked out,” he said, his tone softening for the first time since they began talking, “but it really is for the best.”

“I’ll go stay at Rye’s tonight and pack up the small things tomorrow once you’re gone.By the time you’re back, the house will be all yours.”

*

Josie hadn’t criedon the drive to Rye’s, and she didn’t cry as she let herself into the dark house.

“I’m house-sitting for them,” Savannah said.“And taking care of Mick.”She nodded at the dog who had checked out Josie and then went to his dog bed in the corner and lay down.“What are you doing here?”

The last thing Josie wanted to do was talk to Savannah, but seeing as Savannah was supposed to be here and Josie wasn’t, Josie had to say something.“I needed a place to stay tonight.Do you mind if I crash here for the night?”

“Did you and Bear have a fight?”Savannah asked, putting a kettle on the stove.

Josie wasn’t even sure how to answer that.“I don’t know what happened,” she said, unsteadily, trying to keep all the emotion in check.“But the bottom line is that he asked me to move out, and tomorrow I’ll do that.Or at least everything I can get without Rye’s help.”

Savannah appeared dumbfounded.“What happened?”

“I don’t know.He… flipped a switch.Everything was fine and then it wasn’t.”The tears Josie had been holding back were back, but she didn’t want to cry, not in front of Savannah.

“There has to be more.”Savannah gestured to a barstool at the counter.“Sit down, I’ll make us some tea.”

Josie was grateful to sit.She was shaking, her legs weak, her insides churning.She felt wrecked and stunned.She still couldn’t make sense of what had happened.

“Did you have a fight?”Savannah asked, retrieving a box of herbal tea from the cupboard.

“No.We had coffee together yesterday, chatted about our days.He had some meetings and things.I was going to work on my notes and sketches for my design project for school, and when he returned, he was… different.Very quiet and remote.He went straight to his room and stayed there for hours.When he came out, he said we had to talk, and it was over.”

“So, you are involved.Not just friends.”But Savannah didn’t say it unkindly.Her tone was matter of fact.

Josie nodded.“It hasn’t been long.Just a couple of weeks.”

“And that was going well?”Savannah asked, dropping a teabag in each mug.

“I thought it was.We get along really well.Bear didn’t want it to become more than friends.I was the one who did.I wouldn’t say I seduced him, but I wanted more with him.I’m crazy attracted to him.”

“And he to you, I imagine.”

Josie nodded.“I thought we were doing well.I thought we’d become a pretty solid us.”She glanced at Savannah and then away.“But this evening when Bear finally came out of his room tonight, he was a different person.He said the past couple of weeks were a mistake.And that I needed to leave.”Her voice broke, and Josie wiped at her eyes, determined to keep it together.“I’m sorry.I’m sorry to dump on you like this.”

“It’s fine.If anyone knows Bear, it’s me.”The kettle began to whistle, and Savannah lifted it off the burner.“But this doesn’t sound like him.Bear is complex, but he’s steady.Solid.Bear doesn’t flip out for no reason.I’m shocked, to be honest.I’ve been jealous of you two.”

“You have?”

“Mmmm.Bear is so sweet with you.He’s a different person with you.Which makes me think there’s something else behind this.Something else that set him off.Bear is tough, but he’s fair, and this doesn’t sound fair.”

“I’ve been racking my brain, trying to figure out what I might have done, but I can’t think of anything.Last night was good, and our coffee this morning was good.I’d hoped my family would come over this weekend for a barbecue, but my brother has been tired, and my mom didn’t think it would be good to drag him over to Marietta.”

“Why didn’t she have you and Bear come see them at their house?”

“Bad timing, she said.”Josie bit her lip.She felt so raw and so confused.Nothing made sense.She was grateful to have someone to talk to, even if it was Bear’s ex.“Is that how your relationship ended?Kind of out of the blue?”

“No.Not the way you think.”Savannah filled their cups with hot water and carried them over to the counter, pushing one in front of Josie before sitting down on a stool.

Savannah’s long fair hair was in a loose braid, and she had no makeup on and still looked stunning.Josie didn’t think it was fair.Savannah was beautiful and talented and here in Marietta… waiting for Bear to be available?

“Are you hoping to get back together with Bear?”Josie asked, voice quavering.“I won’t be mad.I just need to know.”

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