Page 137 of Cactus Heart
He blanched to the white of a ghost. He slowly turned to look at me and Levi again, but Dallas shook his head.
“We all need to take a breather,” Dallas said calmly. “This all blew way out of proportion. Austin, we both owe Avery an apology.”
Austin shrugged Dallas off and shook his head at us. “Neither of you deserve her. And you never fucking will.”
Levi remained quiet as Austin spun and stomped down the sidewalk. Dallas cast us an apologetic look and then stalked after him.
Evie blew out a long breath. “Please go check on her.”
“We’ll take care of her,” I promised. “If I need anything, I’ll call both of you.”
“Good,” June said. “We trust you.”
I blew out a breath, feeling the weight of that. Coming from June, it meant a lot. She didn’t hand out trust easily.
“We’re headed home for the night,” Evie said. “But remember, we’re just a call away.”
I nodded and reached for Levi, but he stepped away before I could touch him. Evie and June left us, heading across the street to their cars.
“Levi,” I said softly. “We need to go back inside.”
“I can’t face her right now.”
My heart stopped. “What do you mean? She needs us.”
“She needs you,” he said. “Not me.”
“She does need you,” I argued, my brows pulling together. “I need you.”
Levi shook his head, wiping the blood in his beard on his sleeve. “I can’t . . . I can’t. I just can’t, Mateo. I need to go.”
He started to turn around toleave.Panic sprang up and I reached out, grabbing his hand. “Levi,” I rasped. “Please. I need you. We need you. I?—”
Levi yanked his hand around and spun back. “I told you what this was from the beginning. I told you I’m not good at relationships. I told you that I’m going back to Minnesota.”
“I know, I know.” Tears sprang to my eyes. “But this is different. This relationship is different. It means something, Levi. Every time I’m with you, I feel whole. We fit. We work.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Noneof this works.”
“It could. We can figure things out. We can work together to create a future?—”
“I’m not in your future, Mateo,” he whispered. “I don’t belong there.”
Levi stared at me for a moment longer.
“I’m sorry, Mateo. Love her for me.”
But what about me?I wanted to scream. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I couldn’t speak or move or cry or breathe or think as he walked away. His steps quickened, and he was running. Running away from me. From Avery. From everything we could have had.
I couldn’t go after him.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. I rubbed my eyes and raked my fingers through my hair, trying to pull myself together, but the parts just wouldn’t fit. Not without him.
“Fuck,” I cried. “Fuck.”
My body trembled as I opened the gallery door and walked down the long hall like a zombie. Her studio door was still wide open. When I looked in, my heart crumbled.
Avery held the ruined painting in her lap, cheeks red, shoulders shaking with sobs. She looked up at me with wide, glassy eyes.
