Chapter 24

I can’t do this. I can’t pretend everything is okay, and we can just put the past behind us. I can’t put the past behind me; I can’t pretend that I don’t still feel the same way about him. It’s agony.

“I can’t do this…” I whisper, emotion breaking in my voice, and I pull myself free. I try to turn away, but he catches my chin with his hand, quickly lifting it to him. I know he sees my pain, and my eyes are almost overflowing with the effort of not crying. I’ve become so useless at finding my mask nowadays; it’s long since deserted me, and I’m defenseless this close to him.

His lips part, and he frowns, but he lets me go. An expression crosses his face, a sort of recognition as if he’s seen something he doesn’t like; maybe he finally realizes why we can never go back to before because his stupid ex-PA has become so utterly devoted to every part of him that she can no longer function in his presence.

That’s one thing that would surely send him running for the hills…