to your children. I can’t do that.’
Pieces began to fall into place somewhere at the back of her head, but she didn’t take the time to see it. ‘Of course you can’t. Not when you’re so stuck in your own world that you don’t really care about how I feel.’
‘Excuse me?’
Although she heard the warning in his voice, she couldn’t stop now. ‘I can’t actually believe that I thought you might tell me what was going on in your head. I made excuses for you. I went against my gut.’
Tears pricked at her eyes, and for once she didn’t care.
‘That night you took me home from your house—the night you lied to me—I told myself that you needed time, and that I needed to be patient. But I waited and waited and waited. And all I got was distance, a day of pampering—because you needed to distract me from the fact that you were leaving, right? And from a decision made for my best interests. All because of what?’
She wiped at the tears that came when she realised that he had been saying goodbye to her from the day he’d dropped her at home. Today had just been the finale.
‘Because you couldn’t have a conversation with me about having a family?’
The shame she saw in his eyes confirmed her words.
‘You have no idea what it’s like to care about someone and realise that you can’t give them what they want,’ he said.
‘You have no idea what it feels like to have someone you love decide they don’t want to give you what you want,’ she snapped back at him, and then stopped when the words fell between them like the blade on a guillotine.
‘You love me?’
‘I’ll get over it—don’t worry.’
It felt like a weakness, now—a mistake. Loving him. One she would rather have kept to herself. But she hadn’t, and now she had to keep herself from falling for that expression on his face. It made her want to beg him to stay, to face his fears, to let himself love her.
To let her love be enough for him—for them.
But then she saw the sadness behind his surprise at her declaration—the sadness that told her he wouldn’t let go of whatever was keeping them apart—and she felt devastation rip through her. With tears still threatening, she walked to the door, and then she paused, the fire inside her burning just enough for her to turn back to him.
‘You could’ve missed it, because I made the mistake of saying I love you, so I’m going to say it again. You think that you’re leaving because you can’t give me what I want. But what I want is exactly what you want—a family. So don’t use me as an excuse, Blake. The real problem here is you.’
‘Callie...I’m trying. I mean, I’ve tried it before, and I failed miserably at being a father.’ He said the words through clenched teeth. ‘I’d rather walk away than have you witness me failing at it again.’
She choked back the sob that threatened, and felt completely helpless as she said, ‘Well, then, luckily for both of us I’m used to the people I love leaving me.’
And with those words she walked out through the door, slamming it shut on him and on their relationship.
And breaking whatever had been left of her heart.
BLAKE STOOD LOOKING OUT of the window of the office he shared with Connor, and felt the weight of his decision heavy on his shoulders. The weight that had settled there the moment Callie had shut the door to the office—to them—what felt like years ago.
He rubbed a hand over his face, tried to get his thoughts in order. The first day of negotiations had gone well—he thought he already knew who would be giving him a call, even though they still had four more days to go. It would take a few days after that to draw up the contracts, and then that would be the end of the personal responsibility he felt after letting the Elegance Hotel, Cape Town, slip through the cracks because of Julia.
He wouldn’t be needed in Cape Town after that. He could run operations for the hotels from anywhere in the country. From anywhere in the world. Logically, he knew that. Which was why he couldn’t figure out why every part of him wanted to stay in Cape Town.
Except that was a lie. He knew exactly why he wanted to stay. The part he couldn’t figure out was how he could even consider it. He’d broken things off with Callie—whatever they’d had was now completely and utterly broken. His heart seemed to be, too—so much so that he couldn’t remember the reasons he had given her, had convinced himself of, for why they couldn’t be together. The reasons that had seemed so clear before.
‘You should be at home, celebrating the deal that will be coming in soon.’
Blake turned to see Connor behind him, his hands in his pockets.
He nodded, failing to muster the energy required for a smile. ‘I’m not in the mood.’
‘I can see that. Seems you and Callie may have taken a drink from the same fountain. She’s as miserable as you are.’
Blake hated it that there was a part of him that took comfort in that. ‘She is?’
‘Yes.’ Connor waited a beat, and then said, ‘In case you didn’t pick it up, the fountain was a metaphor. The reality is that you two have been in a relationship that has now broken up. Correct?’
Blake stared at Connor, wondering why on earth his heart was thumping as though he had been caught making out with a girl by her parents, like some teenager. ‘How did you find out?’
Connor let out a bark of laughter and Blake wondered if he had spoken with the guilt he felt.
‘Blake, you may be able to hide your feelings quite well, but my sister can’t.’
He smiled at that. ‘Yes, so I’ve realised. She told you?’
‘She didn’t have to. I could see it from the way she looked at you.’
Connor studied Blake for some time, and Blake had to resist the urge to shuffle his feet. He was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that he was being sized up by his employee. No, he corrected himself. By the brother of the woman he cared about.
‘Blake, do you know how long it took for me to get Callie to consider dating?’ Connor shook his head. ‘It was like talking to a rock. She would let me speak for however long my words of encouragement for that day required, and then she’d smile and tell me she wasn’t interested. So, as much as I’d like to avoid getting involved in my boss’s affairs, the fact that Callie opened up to you tells me that she cares about you. What happened?’
Blake felt another blow to his heart at Connor’s words, and wondered why the reminder that Callie had been willing to let him in hurt so much.
‘It doesn’t matter. We can’t be together.’ He shrugged, as though to show that he had come to terms with it.
‘Well,
