Page 131 of Meant to Be

CHAPTER 31

Joe

Twenty minutes after Berry left my apartment, Cate knocked on my door.

I opened it, forced a smile, and said, “Did you lose your key?”

She held it up and said, “No. It’s right here…. I wasn’t sure if I should use it—”

I smiled again and said, “I’m just glad you’re here. Come on in.”

She took two steps into my apartment, then stopped like she’d never been there before. I contemplated giving her a quick hug but decided against it. Instead, I turned and motioned her toward the kitchen. She followed me, and when we got there, she put the key down on the island. It was a bad sign, and my stomach dropped.

“You’re giving it back?”

She nodded, staring down at it.

“Okay, then,” I said. “I see where this is headed.”

She lifted her chin, which started to tremble, then said, “I’m sorry, Joe. For everything—”

“Oh my God, Cate. Are youreallybreaking up with me?”

“I just don’t think we’re right together—”

I cut her off and said, “Stop with the vague bullshit. Just give it to me straight. Is it over?”

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears.

“Fuck,” I said, my head spinning and my heart racing. “Is it someone else? Arlo?”

“No,”she said. She looked sufficiently horrified to put my mind at ease on that one point.

“Okay, then. What’s changed? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, Joe. It’s nothing like that. You didn’t do anything.”

“Then why? There’s got to be a reason.”

“It’s not justonething….”

“C’mon, Cate,” I said. “Please don’t give me that ‘it’s complicated’ bullshit. I need a reason.”

“I just don’t think we’re compatible long-term.”

“How are we not compatible? We get along so well! We never fight,” I said.

“We just aren’t.”

I let out a frustrated sigh, then said, “So is this one of those ‘you like the thermostat up and I like it down’ type things? Or more like: you don’t want kids and are afraid to tell me?”

“It’s neither of those things…. It’s a lot of things….”

“Name one.”

“Well,” she said, crossing her arms. “You’re a Kingsley…and I’m…far from that.”

“Well, that’s a good thing, dummy,” I said, attempting a smile. “Because if you were a Kingsley, then thatwouldbe a problem.”

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