Page 61 of Dreams That Bind Us
Gwen's mumbled response was firm and lengthy and apparently enough to make him cave. A deep breath whooshed from his chest, and he closed his eyes, finally breaking their gaze.
"Fine. I'll be there in a few hours. Set up the flight for me."
Anna's heart sank. He was leaving.
James ended the call and shoved the phone in his pocket, his eyes wide and staring, chest heaving as his breath came in short, quick gasps. The tension was thick as molasses.
"James…" Anna reached for him, but he took two steps back and turned to the stove. He dumped the burnt sausages onto a plate, busying himself by scrubbing out the pan in the sink.
"James, can we talk? Please?"
"I have a flight to catch in an hour. They need me in New York." His voice was flat, his eyes distant and cold when he glanced at her. It wasn't an expression she'd ever seen on his face before, and her heart clenched at what it meant.
She knew a wall going up when she saw one, after all she’d done it often enough herself. She could feel her heart ripping in two at the sudden distance between them.
"I don't know how long I'll be gone. But it’ll be a while."
Anna blinked. That was a subtle brush off if she'd ever heard one. "Okay. Is there anything I can do?"
He was quiet as he rinsed the pan and set it to dry, then wiped his hands on a dish towel. Finally, he met her gaze, and she shivered at the pain and grief in his eyes.
"Gwen says things are heating up with the bids and the deals are proceeding more quickly than anticipated. According to the broker, I have meetings stacked back-to-back for the very near future at this point. One of the buyers is also interested in a property in Singapore, so I’ll be traveling extensively. I don’t know when I’ll return."
He pushed away from the island and edged toward her, stopping just out of reach. "I have some emails to send then Ineed to pack," he said before brushing past her as he walked out the door, his steps robotic as if he was on autopilot.
"Okay," she whispered to the empty kitchen. Despite everything—the assurances from her aunt, the intensity from James, her belief that a relationship could work for her—the nightmare was happening again, and it was like a knife to her soul.
Her lungs constricted and she suddenly couldn't be in his house another second. Scurrying up the stairs, she winced when she heard his office door close with a sharp snap. It wasn't a slam, but it was enough of a statement for her to know that he had closed her out.
She was no longer welcome here.
Hot tears overflowed as she grabbed the bag she kept under the bed and stuffed it full of clothes and shoes. Luckily she hadn't brought too much over that would require a second trip, but it was enough for her to fill the bag completely. She stumbled into the bathroom and scooped her makeup into the bag, then zipped it up.
Lifting her gaze, she nearly recoiled when she met her reflection. Her nose was cherry red and her running mascara left black streaks down her cheeks. It was a stark contrast from how fresh she had appeared just thirty minutes earlier.
How could everything, her whole world,shiftso suddenly? How could she lose her happily ever after in the space of a few minutes?
Maybe because it was never real.
What really worried her—what she knew would keep her up at night—was how would she ever get over James.
She ran down the stairs and out the door, trying to outrun the heartbreak and ghosts of her past.
Chapter 16
New York City, Two weeks later
James stared out at the endless line of skyscrapers from his New York office, his mood as bleak as the leaden sky. It was a far cry from the peaceful serenity he’d felt in Key West with the green palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze or the vibrant colors of the flowering bushes.
The two places couldn't be more different.
New York felt cold and merciless while Key West was vibrant—full of life and joy. It was funny how he hadn't paid attention to it before now.
His entire life he’d felt grounded, knowing he was on the right path, especially when Anna had entered his life. But now, here in New York, he felt lost and untethered, like a kite being tossed in a storm. Nothing felt right.
And that scene in the kitchen...
Even now he couldn't explain the feeling that came over him when Anna had called him by his full name, something only his mother had ever done. The fact that Anna hadn't known his middle name was not lost on him, but it didn't lessen the pain and guilt that shocked his system when he heard those words tumble from her mouth.
