Page 86 of Edged
“What happened after that?” he asked, resting his chin on the top of my head.
“Nothing bad, not like you’re thinking.” I mumbled into his chest before turning and pressing my cheek against his sternum. “He told me he loved me. He said he wanted me to stay.”
Frankie went still.
“I told him I couldn’t.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Are you serious?” I tipped my head back to look at him. “You were just reading me the riot act for going in the first place and now you’re asking why I didn’t stay?”
“I read you the riot act before I got the facts.”
“You still don’t have all the facts,” I said.
He looked at me like he wanted to strangle me.
“Even if I wanted to stay—” I started and he cut me off.
“Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Did you want to stay?” he asked softly.
“Yes, but… it doesn’t matter.” I cleared my throat and took both of his hands in mine.
“Why not?”
“His life is there. Mine is here.” I gestured toward the sparsely furnished but well-loved apartment that I’d spent years making into my home.
“People can relocate,” Frankie reminded me.
“He would never.”
“There’s two of you,” he said.
“I don’t want to leave you…or Mandy.”
“There’s the real issue, Owen.” He gave me an extremely stern teacher look that let me know he’d sussed out the truth without me even having to confess it. “It’s not you and I know it’s not me. It’s her.”
“He broke her heart.”
“He broke your heart too, and you obviously forgave him.” Frankie shook his head. “And Mandy is getting married, so she’s clearly over it.”
“Archie isn’t the kind of man you justget over.”
“Do you love him?”
The change in his line of questioning gave me whiplash, and any biting reply died in the back of my throat. I swallowed, blinking rapidly to fight against the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill at the thought.
“That’s a yes,” Frankie said for me.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” He let out a breath, his own shoulders giving out.
“Do you hate me for it?” I asked.
