Page 21 of Meant to Be
“Well, it wasn’t to give you the stars, honey.”
His words were like a slap, and she stared at him, unable to wrap her mind around how much she had loved him in college. How did the man she’d wanted to spend her life with become so hurtful?
“Look, Mitch, I get it. You blame me for things falling apart. You don’t need to hunt me down to remind me every day. Charlotte Tavern is small, but I think I can avoid you and I’d appreciate it if you stayed away from me.” She turned and began to march away, willing herself to not shed one more tear over Mitch McKenna, even though her eyes watered.
“I called you.”
His words stopped her.
“When I was at boot camp, I called.”
She turned, wondering what he was talking about.
“But your phone had been disconnected.”
Oh, God. Her breath hitched as she remembered how her parents had changed phone plans and numbers around the time Mitch went away.
“So I e-mailed.” His voice was calm, matter-of-fact, but there was no mistaking the anger in his eyes.
“I didn’t—”
“Well, you wouldn’t, would you, since you blocked e-mails from me.”
“No…” She pressed her fingers to her temple as confusion whirled.
“So I wrote you. A real letter with my chicken scrawl and a stamp. It wasn’t returned, so I know you got it. But you didn’t answer it.”
She couldn’t breathe as the magnitude of what he was saying crashed down on her. “I never got mail. Maybe your letter got lost.”
“All five of them?”
She staggered back and sagged against a tree. “I didn’t get anything. I don’t understand.” Except, she did. The only explanation was he was right: Her parents had intervened. It was mind boggling; her parents weren’tthoseelitist, meddling people. At least, she didn’t think they were.
“You said I could have changed your mind. All I had to do was try.” He stepped close to her, crowding her against the tree. “Well, Syd, I did try.”
The world spun and tilted. She blew out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
He leaned one hand against the tree and drew his face close to hers so she could see into his stormy green eyes. “Would it have mattered?”
“Yes.”
He said nothing as he stared at her. She couldn’t figure out what he was looking for or what she should say. She wanted to turn away from the blame she saw in his angry eyes, but she desperately wanted him to understand, no, to believe that she hadn’t known about his attempts to reach her.
“I’ve spent ten years being angry at you for letting your parents talk you out of marrying me. For letting them keep me from you.”
She wanted to correct him, except now she wasn’t sure he was wrong.
“I look at you and all that hurt and betrayal is right here.” He thumped his chest with his fist.
She wanted to touch him, to soothe his hurt, but she knew she had no right.
“So why would I pay any price to kiss you right now?”
Sydney’s brows shot up. He’d crowded her the night before, true, when he was also angry and yet, she thought he’d wanted to kiss her then too. And, God, did she want him to kiss her. She was an idiot to want him still. He’d been nothing but rude to her since seeing him. And yet, just like him, she’d give anything to taste him again.
“It won’t cost you anything.” Her voice was a whisper as her heart hammered in her chest, and she dared him to make good on his desire.
“You’re wrong about that. It will cost me everything.” Then his lips crushed hers, hard, desperate, and, oh, so delicious.
