Page 103 of No More Secrets
“This would never be a two-way street, Carter. I would have to give up everything I’ve worked for. My job, my life in New York. I can’t just drop everything and move to a farm. This isn’t what I want.”
“I’m not asking you to. There’s no reason why I can’t move to the city.”
“No!” The word cracked like a whip. “You can’t give all of this up. There are things you don’t know. Uncertainties. ”
“Then tell me so we can work through it together.”
“I can’t — don’t want a family. I want what I’ve been working for. I’m so close and I can’t give that up. Not for you, not for anyone. Look, I’m sorry, but this is just moving too fast. I can’t get my head around what you’re saying. I need time.”
She saw it. The pain — keen and bright — in his eyes. She was destroying him while trying to save him.
“Summer.” The pain was there too, sharp in his tone.
“Please, Carter,” she sobbed. “Please let me go.”
She ran the whole way to the house. Through the filter of tears she didn’t see Beckett just inside the door until it was too late.
“Whoa! Where’s the fire, honey?” He grabbed her shoulders and steadied her. “Summer? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where’s Carter?”
She couldn’t say anything, just shook her head. He looked so much like Carter. All good men, the Pierces. She couldn’t take it. Summer buried her face in Beckett’s chest and sobbed.
“Jesus, Summer, you’re scaring me,” he said stroking her back.
“Carter loves me and wants me to stay.” She choked out the words.
“That sounds horrible,” Beckett said, rocking side to side.
“It is. He doesn’t know. If he did he wouldn’t want me. Or worse, he’d feel obligated to stay with me.”
Carter wouldn’t run. He’d stick. He’d be there for every single low. Instead of starting a family and looking forward to a future, he’d be facing the constant unknown of an ending that could come too soon.
“What doesn’t he know?” Beckett asked gently.
Summer pushed back and looked up at him. “I have to go home, Beckett. Will you tell Niko for me?”
“Tell him what?” Beckett tightened his grip on her shoulders.
“Just tell him I had to go home.”
She extricated herself from his grip and ran up the stairs.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Carter stared at the ripples on the surface of the pond, willing the water to absorb the hurt. He didn’t turn when he heard the footsteps, only skimmed another rock over the surface.
Beckett joined him at the water’s edge and squinted up at the impossibly blue sky.
“Shitty day,” he said finally.
Carter nodded and picked up another rock.
“She loves you, you know.”
Carter sighed, sending the stone hopping. One. Two. Three. “I know.”
“That counts for something.”
It did. And somehow that made it worse. Life was precious, fragile. There were no guarantees. And fighting something beautiful and good because of fear? It was senseless.
