Page 102 of Booked for Summer

‘Or.’ He rose to his feet and gave her his hand. ‘I choose or.’

ChapterThirty-Five

She knew all about the elephant in the room, but this was the airline reservation on the coffee table.

Jade watched as Liam’s gaze slid over to it. She’d offered to cook him a meal tonight and, knowing he would see it, she’d printed out her reservation and placed it on the table, next to the bowl of nuts. Every time, over the last few days, when she’d raised the fact she was going home, he’d quickly changed the subject.

It was now Thursday. She was flying out on Saturday.

She needed to know if she’d be saying goodbye, or see you again soon.

Handing him his beer, she glanced pointedly at the reservation. ‘I could cancel it.’ There. She’d got hold of the elephant and dragged it right in front of their noses.

His jaw muscle twitched. ‘No, you should go.’

‘Okay.’ She tried to keep her voice steady, but it was impossible when disappointment weighed so heavily inside her, her knees threatened to buckle. ‘And what about coming back. Do you think I should do that?’

‘I think you should do whatever you want to do.’

Frigging hell. She wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. ‘Okay, let’s put it another way. Do you want me to come back?’

There was a flare of irritation in the eyes that briefly met hers. ‘Of course I do. I’ve already told you that.’

In keeping with how he’d been the last few days, ever since Henry had taunted him with both his words and the perfectly gorgeous Sabrina on his arm, Liam had retreated behind an invisible gate, blocking her from getting close. ‘Why?’

‘Why do I want you to come back?’

‘Yes.’

He exhaled sharply, leaning forward, arms on his knees. ‘We’ve been through this. I care for you. I enjoy your company. Plus, you’ve made this big fuss of keeping the bookstore open.’

‘Oh, my God, sod the bookstore, what about us?’ Frustrated, fearful, she plonked herself down next to him. ‘We promised to keep talking to each other, but these last few days you’ve closed up. How am I supposed to make a life-changing decision when you won’t discuss how you feel?’

His eyes refused to meet hers. ‘What I feel is that you need to go home, pick up your life and work out for certain what you want before you make any big plans.’

‘Right, okay.’ Calm, she told herself, and inhaled a deep breath. ‘WhatIfeel is that you’re pushing me away.’ She touched his cheek, forcing his eyes to meet hers. ‘Is that what you’re doing?’

‘I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.’ He exhaled harshly. ‘You’re asking for something I can’t give you. Asking me to make myself vulnerable when I’ve spent the vast majority of my life trying to make sure of the opposite.’ He jumped jerkily to his feet. ‘Jeremy can find one of the resort staff to manage the bookstore while you think about what you want to do.’

This was not how she’d envisaged her last few days going. Not after the closeness of the previous weeks. ‘I get that you’re protecting yourself, but this shield you’ve put up, it’s hurtful. You’re acting like you’re not bothered what I do, not bothered if you never see me again. Not bothered aboutme.’ Emotion lodged in her throat like a boulder. ‘And I swore not to let a man make me feel I wasn’t good enough ever again.’

He slammed his eyes shut, cursed. ‘You’re more than good enough. That’s not what this is about.’

‘Then what is it about?’

His gaze flew to hers. ‘It’s about being realistic, Jade. You’ve been here three months, half of which you spent hating me. It’s hardly a stable foundation for a life-changing decision.’ He dragged a hand through his hair in a jerky movement. ‘If you want to come back because of the island, because of the friends you’ve made, the bookstore, that’s different.’

‘So I can come back and work for you, but not come backforyou?’

‘Fuck, Jade, I can’t let myself think about us.’ His gaze, when it finally met hers, was a mixture of bleak and tortured. ‘You think I’m not acutely aware how easy it’s going to be for you to forget me the moment you get off that plane and return to your real life?’

She let out a strangled laugh. ‘You are not a man anyone can easily forget.’

‘Oh no?’ His expression turned harsh. ‘Ask my mother. Or my father.’

And there it was, the pain he hid. A pain that was going to prevent her from ever being allowed into his heart. ‘You’ve named two people who never bothered to get to know you.’ Her own heart felt impossibly heavy as she stood to face him. ‘If they had, they would see what I see. A man it’s so easy to love, it’s ridiculous.’ She reached for her courage. ‘I’d be happy, noecstatic, to stay if you asked me to. But you don’t want to know that, do you? You’d rather hide behind your wall of hurt and tell yourself you’re being sensible, protecting us both, when really all you’re doing is condemning yourself to a life half lived. And me to a life of missing you.’ Sadly, she bent to pick up his jacket and handed it to him. ‘I hope one day you’ll find someone worth ditching that hiding place for. Meanwhile, we should say goodbye.’

He looked stunned. ‘Now?’

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