Page 123 of Head Over Heels

“Why?” Her voice, strained and helpless sounding, tugged inside him and made him ache.

He wanted to yell at her that he’d stupidly gone and fallen in love with her and convinced himself that was enough. His mother’s words that day at the sink came rushing back to him. She was right.

He’d believed it was easy. Believed love and hope and optimism were enough. But he’d been wrong.

And he refused to lay that at Sophie’s feet.

He shrugged, scrubbed a hand over his jaw, and told her not the why, but still the truth. “It’s too hard for me, Soph.”

Tears filled her big brown eyes, and she shook her head. “I don’t understand. How is being apart better than being together?”

“It just is. For me, it is. I’m sorry.” He clasped his hands and looked out over this fucking city.

For her, their relationship began and ended with her time in Revival. He was a diversion. He’d seen it in her eyes. The prospect of “them” wasn’t on her radar. He’d even pressed her to talk about it, to stay and figure it out, but that she wouldn’t gave him no other option.

“So now what?”

He glanced at the bed, rumpled from the time they’d spent in it that afternoon. All the things he’d done to her, driving them both to the very edge, before pulling back and starting all over again. He studied her in her white dress, trying to picture never touching her body again and finding he couldn’t. He couldn’t stand the thought of living without her, but he couldn’t ignore the truth anymore.

He loved her and she didn’t love him in return.

He dragged a hand through his hair. “If you give me fifteen minutes, I can get out of here.”

“But where will you go?” Her voice shook.

“Back to Revival.”

“How will you get there?”

“I’ll find a way.” They’d taken her car, but and even if they hadn’t, he wouldn’t leave her stranded there. He could probably rent a bike to get him home.

She chewed on her bottom lip. “I’ll go with you.”

“Sophie.”

She blinked bright eyes at him. “What?”

“Stay.”

“But—”

He shook his head. “I can’t be around you right now.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “Okay.” She pointed to the door and picked up a key card. “I’ll just go down to the bar until you . . .” She swallowed hard and he knew she fought back the urge to cry. “Leave.”

Then she turned on her heels and was gone.

He picked up his cell phone and pressed Charlie’s number.

He answered on the second ring. “What’s up? I thought you were in Chicago.”

“I am.”

“Then why are you calling me instead of in bed with the lovely Sophie?”

“Long story. I need a favor.”

“What’s that?”