Too Far 02 - Never Too Far

day you left,” I replied, watching her carefully.
    Her eyes went wide. Why did this surprise her? Didn’t she get it? She came first. I’d told her as much in that hotel room. “Oh. I didn’t know…” she trailed off. We both knew she didn’t know because she’d cut me from her life.
    “It’s just me. Except for Grant’s occasional visits, it’s always just me.” She needed to know I hadn’t moved on. I wasn’t moving on.
    Blaire walked into the house and I clenched my hands into fists as her familiar sweet scent followed her. So many nights I’d sat here and dreamed of seeing her walk back into my life. My world.
    “Can I get you something to drink?” I asked, thinking how I really wanted to beg her to talk to me. To stay with me.To forgive me.
    Blaire shook her head and turned around to look at me. “No. I’m good. I… I just… I was in town and well…” She scrunched her nose and I fought the urge to reach over and touch her face. “Did you hit Cain?”
    Cain. Shit . She knew about Cain. Was she here to talk about Cain? “He asked things he shouldn’t have. Said things he shouldn’t have,” I replied through my clenched teeth.
    Blaire sighed. “I can only imagine,” she mumbled and shook her head. “I’m sorry he came here. He doesn’t think things through. He just acts on impulse.” She wasn’t defending him. She was apologizing for him. That wasn’t her job. The stupid fucker wasn’t her responsibility or her fault.
    “Don’t apologize for him, Blaire. It makes me want to hunt his ass down,” I growled, unable to control my reaction.
    “It’s my fault he was here, Rush. That’s why I’m apologizing. I upset him and he assumed it was all because of you so he came running here before talking things out with me.”
    Talking things out with her? What the fuck did Cain need to talk out with her? “He needs to back off. If he so much as —
    “Rush. Calm down. We are old friends. Nothing more. I told him some things I’ve needed to say for a long time. He didn’t like it. I was cruel but I needed to say them. I was tired of protecting his feelings. He pushed me too far. That’s all it was.”
    I took a deep breath but the pounding in my head had gotten louder.
    “Did you come to see him?” I needed to know if that was why she was here. If this had nothing to do with me my heart needed to deal with it.
    Blaire walked over toward the steps instead of going into the living room. I noticed it. I understood. She might have come in my house but she couldn’t walk in there and face things. Not yet. Maybe never. “He may have been my excuse to get into the car with Bethy,” she paused and let out a sigh, “but he was gone when I got here. I stayed for other reasons. I… I need to talk to you.”
    She’d come here to talk to me. Had it been enough time? I used every ounce of will power I possessed to stand still and not go pull her into my arms. I didn’t care what she had to say. The fact she wanted to see me was enough. “I’m glad you came,” I said simply.
    The small frown was back and Blaire wouldn’t look directly at me. “Things are still the same. I haven’t been able to let it go. I’ll never be able to trust you. Even… even if I want to. I can’t.”
    What the fuck did that mean? The pounding in my ears grew stronger.
    “I’m leaving Sumit. I can’t stay there. I’ve got to make it on my own.”
    What? “Are you moving in with Bethy?” I asked, wondering if I was still asleep and this was a dream.
    “No. I wasn’t going to. But this morning I talked with Bethy and I thought maybe if I saw you and talked to you and faced… this I’d be able to stay with her for a while. It wouldn’t be permanent; I’ll leave in a couple months. Just until I have time to decide where I am going to go next.”
    She was still planning on leaving. I needed to change that. I had a couple of months if she stayed here. For the first time since she’d told me to leave the hotel room I had hope. “I think that’s smart. No reason to make a rash decision when you have an option right here.” She could stay in my house for free. In my bed.With me. But I couldn’t offer that. She’d never agree.

Blaire

    “I’ll be working at the club. We’ll… uh… see each other on occasion. I’d get a job somewhere else but I need the money the club pays.” I was explaining this to myself as much as I was explaining it to Rush. I hadn’t been sure exactly what I