Page 8 of Sweet Surrender
“What do you want?” she snapped, mortified that he’d caught her in such a weak moment.
He held up a wad of cash. “The money for the cabin?”
“Just put it on my desk and leave.” She knew she was being a bitch but she couldn’t help it, she hadn’t buried her hurt yet.
He had caught her crying because she couldn’t have children. Because she got knocked up and had an abortion. Because she slept with her useless boyfriend and didn’t use protection. Because she was too miserable and heartbroken to notice. Because Beau had broken her heart. Logically she knew absolutely none of this was his fault.They wereheractions,herchoices and she was owning them and living with them.
But right now, in this second, she felt like she didn’t owe this man a goddamn thing.
*
She turned back to stare out the window, dismissing him like she always did. Beau sighed and dropped the cash down on her desk and headed for the door, but something stopped him from leaving. She was different.
Sure, she was her usual snarky self but something else too. There was a sadness about her, a vulnerability that he hadn’t seen for so long it made his chest ache. Clearly she’d been crying, her cheeks slightly splotchy like she used to get. He never could stand to see her cry. He watched her, lost in another world as she brought her hand to her mouth, her knuckles brushing across her lip and she nibbled absently on them, he knew what that meant.
He sighed again. “Stop picking.”
She jolted at his words, as though he shouted them at her. She slowly turned to face him.
“What?” she asked, almost breathless.
He couldn’t quite fight back his smile at her expression. “You heard me. Stop picking.”
“I wasn’t, I was-” she spluttered.
“Don’t lie to me, Tay. Whatever old scars you’re poring over, scratching and picking at until they bleed all over again, leave them alone.”
Her brows flew together and his words hung in the air, an uncomfortable reminder of the closeness they had once shared.Pain briefly flashed across her face before her expression shuttered.He balled his fists, tamping down the instinctive urge to go to her. To pull her into his arms and soothe her, like he would have done fifteen years ago.But he didn’t. He wasn’t that person to her and they didn’t have that relationship anymore.
He waited, expecting her to hit him with some sarcastic retort but nothing came. Instead, she shocked him by nodding her head. So softly that if he wasn’t still so in tuned to her body, he wouldn’t have noticed.
Hope bloomed in his chest and his apology pushed to the forefront, but he held it back. It didn’t feel like the right moment. He didn’t know what just happened between them but he knew bringing up their history, no matter how much he wanted to apologize for his words, would ruin this moment of peace.
He nodded at her then slipped out of her office, closing the door softly behind him, still in awe at what just happened. He felt raw and exposed in sharing that moment with her. That was the first time that either of them had acknowledged what they’d had.
“Dipshit!” A deep voice shouted, and a solid arm banded around his shoulders. He turned, putting the moment with Taylor out of his mind, to pore over it later, as he came face to face with his friend, Blake.
“What’s your sorry ass doing here?” Beau asked, slinging an arm around him.
“Come sit down, I’ve got something to tell you,” Blake said cryptically and led him over to a booth where Dean was sitting. As they passed the corner of the bar Beau waved to a beaming Justine and Christy.What the hell is going on?
“’Sup dude,” Dean said with a wink.
“What’s going on?”
“Beats me, he’s being cagey as hell.” Dean punched Blake gently on the arm.
“You’re okay right?” Beau asked, concerned. He knew Blake was at the tail end of a big battle with his mental health and was worried that he’d suffered a setback.
“I’m more than okay, man,” Blake replied, sitting down opposite Beau and sliding a beer across the table to him. There was a pause as Blake looked between Dean and Beau before he unleashed a wide smile.
“Justine’s pregnant!” Blake exclaimed.
“What? That’s amazing!”
“Wow, congrats bro,” Beau said, clinking their beer bottles together.
“Thanks guys, we’re over the moon,” Blake gushed, glancing at Justine. The sheer adoration on his face made Beau feel like he was interrupting a private moment between them. He felt his throat tighten with emotion. He knew how much Justine had wanted children and he was so pleased that her dream was coming true.
