Page 159 of What Started In Deception

“After I get things figured out with Will, we can spend Sunday together before I have to head to the airport.”

She huffed out a humorless laugh. “Wow. That’s really generous.”

He frowned. “Don’t do that. I don’t want things to be this way.”

She shrugged helplessly because she had no idea what to do. Everything about this moment felt sickeningly similar to being fourteen and learning that she’d lost her family. “But they are this way.”

“I had no idea that things were going to happen like this.”

She shrugged again. “It was never real, anyway.”

“Yes, it was. It is.”

She adamantly shook her head. “Don’t say that to me when you’re about to pack your bags and leave.”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do. My bosses want me back in the office on Monday.”

“Then you should go.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“I think— It’s probably best if you go right now.”

He blinked at her as if she’d slapped him. “What?”

She nodded. “I want you to get your stuff and go.” Because everything about this was killing her.

He moved her way. “Lyd⁠—”

She stepped around the island, farther away from him. “You got the information you needed. Now our fake relationship is over. I’ll let my family know that we broke up.”

He closed the distance between them, snagging her by the arm. “Lyd⁠—”

“Don’t,” she said as she yanked away, struggling to keep her voice steady and her tears in check. “Please don’t touch me.”

He reached for her again. “Lydia.”

She shook her head, evading him. “Just go, Ty. Please get out.”

“Lyd, I don’t want to get out.”

She swallowed. “I need you to.”

He sighed, holding her stare for several long moments, then headed upstairs.

She closed her eyes, quickly wiping at the tears trailing down her cheeks as she hurried to the door and slipped on her slides, rushing outside, needing to be gone when he came back downstairs.

Heading for the main house, she let herself into the library, waiting with the door cracked as several minutes passed before a car pulled up.

Ty walked out the front door, carrying his bags on his shoulders as he looked toward her SUV, then toward the beach. “Lyd,” he called. “Lydia.”

She closed her eyes as more tears fell, sucking in several shuddering breaths, yearning to go to him, but she knew that she couldn’t.

He grabbed his phone from his back pocket, touching the screen before he put it to his ear.

Seconds later, Will’s phone started to ring somewhere in the house.

“Hey,” Ty said as he continued to look around. “Have you seen Lydia?” He sighed as he shook his head. “No. I’ll talk to you later.”