Page 40 of Let it Breathe
"If you really believe that, then you don't know me at all." The hatred in her eyes was too much.
She dropped the sheet, and I couldn't take my eyes off her body. I needed to talk and fast. I needed to explain. I needed to stop her from packing. She pulled some clothes out of her suitcase and stormed into the bathroom.
I plopped on the bed and waited.
I went over all of it in my mind and tried to come up with a scenario where I wasn't the asshole and where she didn't blame her family, but I couldn't think of anything.
She walked out of the bathroom, fully dressed with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"I can't believe I wasted a whole weekend with you." She spit words at me as she frantically stuffed her things in her bag.
"Chai."
She turned and leaned back.
"No, Donovan. I could have spent this weekend getting more investors, working with my parents to not sell. Instead, I've lost everything because of you."
"You haven't lost everything. Chai, the vineyard isn't everything." I stood up and grabbed her. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. "This. Us. We are everything."
For a second, I thought I had her. She kissed me back. I felt it when she pressed her body against me, when she whimpered as my tongue tasted her mouth. I held her so close it hurt.
But she pushed me away, slamming her hands into my chest, and stared.
I could feel the confusion tugging her emotions between her brain and her heart. I struggled with the same internal battle.
I took a step toward her, and she held her hand up and took a step back.
"No, Donovan." She placed her hand on her lips. They were red and swollen from our kisses. She shook her head. "This isn't everything. This isn't even real."
She zipped up the suitcase, pulled it off the stand, and headed out the door. I let her go. I couldn't think of anything to say to her to make her stay.
If this wasn't real, then why did my heart hurt ... really, really bad.
