Valerie Ashford. His lover had sent Jared an email.
Did you know about it?
John had asked.
No.
Does Jared?
He hasn’t said anything to me if he does.
But he did know. And he hadn’t told Ana. She checked the date on the incoming message. Yesterday.
Her mind went back to their encounter last night. He’d stopped kissing her, touching her.
We have to talk.
And then, “I got an…”
She breathed a little easier. Okay, he’d probablyplanned to tell her. But could she be sure? She’d ask him. This time, she wasn’t going off on an emotional rampage. But she also couldn’t turn a blind eye. So she read the email. And came to the last paragraph.
But know above and beyond those reasons, it seems like the time to face you again. I love you, Jared, I have for the two years we’ve been apart. Nothing has changed for me. Would Ilike to pick up where we left off? Of course. I’ll contact you when I reach campus for summer orientation.
Ana took in a deep breath. Valerie had been against the split. And she wanted him back. She loved him. She…
“I was going to tell you last night.” The deep rumble of Jared’s voice came from behind her. “But then the scare with Opal happened.”
She swiveled around. Her entire bodyreacted to the sight of him, sleep rumpled, rough beard, his pajama bottoms snug at the waist. He was bare chested.
“I see,” she finally managed to say.
He watched her. “Tell me, Ana, are you going to react like you did before?”
“What do you mean?”
“You kicked me out when you found out about the affair.”
“Excuse me? Are you going to have an affair with Valerie Ashford whenshe gets back to town?”
“Of course I’m not. But I want to know if this time you’re going to fight for us.”
His tone was disconcerting. “Are you saying I should have fought for our marriage last time?”
“Absolutely.”
“And you’re mad that I didn’t?”
“Of course I am. We had issues other than the affair.”
“Issues you solved by screwing someone else. Who, I imagine, could respondappropriately.”
His eyes burned. God, was he right?
She was out of her depth here. Her initial reaction was fury that Jared was angry about her response to his adultery the last time. Though she knew in her heart he suffered terrible guilt. But she bit her tongue. Whenever she thought about the horror of that year, she felt ill. Like right now. Her hand went to her stomach. “I-I don’twant to say the wrong thing.”
He softened immediately. Coming inside, he reached the chair and knelt before her. “I’m sorry I’ve upset you. I’m not sure where all that came from. I thought I’d dealt with it.” He nodded to the computer. “But the email resurrected a lot for me as well as you.”
“Obviously.” She couldn’t believe her voice was so even when her insides were churning like a washingmachine on spin cycle.
He grasped her hands. She let him. “Ana, we have a lot to fight for. We were on our way to making love last night. You responded just fine.”
“I know that. But how can I trust what’s between us? This probably would have come up without the email, but what if last night was a fluke? Or what if Valerie coming back ruins everything? Jared, I’m not sure I can endure losingyou again. And I won’t put Opal through that.”
“Damn it, Ana. Don’t do this again. Don’t push me away because you’re afraid. And hurt. I’m afraid. And hurt, too. We’ll conquer this together.”
She wanted that so badly. “I need some time to think. Some time away from you.”
“No, that’s the worst thing we should do. We need to be together.”
“I can’t do that right now, Jared, I’m sorry.”
He rose quickly. Looking down at her, he shook his head. “I can’t believe this.” He walked out of the room, his head down, his shoulders slumped.
Ana just sat there and stared after him.
oOo
At the end of her morning class, Sofia was overcome by an ominous feeling. Something was
Did you know about it?
John had asked.
No.
Does Jared?
He hasn’t said anything to me if he does.
But he did know. And he hadn’t told Ana. She checked the date on the incoming message. Yesterday.
Her mind went back to their encounter last night. He’d stopped kissing her, touching her.
We have to talk.
And then, “I got an…”
She breathed a little easier. Okay, he’d probablyplanned to tell her. But could she be sure? She’d ask him. This time, she wasn’t going off on an emotional rampage. But she also couldn’t turn a blind eye. So she read the email. And came to the last paragraph.
But know above and beyond those reasons, it seems like the time to face you again. I love you, Jared, I have for the two years we’ve been apart. Nothing has changed for me. Would Ilike to pick up where we left off? Of course. I’ll contact you when I reach campus for summer orientation.
Ana took in a deep breath. Valerie had been against the split. And she wanted him back. She loved him. She…
“I was going to tell you last night.” The deep rumble of Jared’s voice came from behind her. “But then the scare with Opal happened.”
She swiveled around. Her entire bodyreacted to the sight of him, sleep rumpled, rough beard, his pajama bottoms snug at the waist. He was bare chested.
“I see,” she finally managed to say.
He watched her. “Tell me, Ana, are you going to react like you did before?”
“What do you mean?”
“You kicked me out when you found out about the affair.”
“Excuse me? Are you going to have an affair with Valerie Ashford whenshe gets back to town?”
“Of course I’m not. But I want to know if this time you’re going to fight for us.”
His tone was disconcerting. “Are you saying I should have fought for our marriage last time?”
“Absolutely.”
“And you’re mad that I didn’t?”
“Of course I am. We had issues other than the affair.”
“Issues you solved by screwing someone else. Who, I imagine, could respondappropriately.”
His eyes burned. God, was he right?
She was out of her depth here. Her initial reaction was fury that Jared was angry about her response to his adultery the last time. Though she knew in her heart he suffered terrible guilt. But she bit her tongue. Whenever she thought about the horror of that year, she felt ill. Like right now. Her hand went to her stomach. “I-I don’twant to say the wrong thing.”
He softened immediately. Coming inside, he reached the chair and knelt before her. “I’m sorry I’ve upset you. I’m not sure where all that came from. I thought I’d dealt with it.” He nodded to the computer. “But the email resurrected a lot for me as well as you.”
“Obviously.” She couldn’t believe her voice was so even when her insides were churning like a washingmachine on spin cycle.
He grasped her hands. She let him. “Ana, we have a lot to fight for. We were on our way to making love last night. You responded just fine.”
“I know that. But how can I trust what’s between us? This probably would have come up without the email, but what if last night was a fluke? Or what if Valerie coming back ruins everything? Jared, I’m not sure I can endure losingyou again. And I won’t put Opal through that.”
“Damn it, Ana. Don’t do this again. Don’t push me away because you’re afraid. And hurt. I’m afraid. And hurt, too. We’ll conquer this together.”
She wanted that so badly. “I need some time to think. Some time away from you.”
“No, that’s the worst thing we should do. We need to be together.”
“I can’t do that right now, Jared, I’m sorry.”
He rose quickly. Looking down at her, he shook his head. “I can’t believe this.” He walked out of the room, his head down, his shoulders slumped.
Ana just sat there and stared after him.
oOo
At the end of her morning class, Sofia was overcome by an ominous feeling. Something was
Similar Books
