her face. “You didn’t.”
He swallowed. “It’s not a big deal.” He’d thought he’d have time to fix this before she found out.
“Not a big deal? Not a big deal?” Her voice rose with each word. “You used the money from the baby account, didn’t you?” she hissed.
He nodded. He’d known she might be a little upset but hadn’t counted on the venom he saw in her eyes. “Don’t get so worked up. It was just sitting there, and I thought that would be the best way to keep it a surprise.”
Tears rolled down her face. “I knew you didn’t want to keep trying to have a baby. But I never thought you’d do something like this.”
Luke paced in front of her. “We can replenish it.” He reached out to brush a tear away, but she stepped back. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Quit saying that. It
is
a big deal. At least to me.” She wiped her eyes and took another step backward. “You didn’t even consider how this would make me feel, did you?”
“I thought I was doing something that would make you happy.”
She shook her head. “You haven’t made me happy in months. You tried to pretend that our baby never existed.” Her tears started falling again, and this time she let them fall. “You wouldn’t talk about it, wouldn’t grieve with me.” She sobbed in earnest now. “And I didn’t have the energy to fight then. Not even when you emptied out the nursery and took all the baby stuff to the dump.”
“I was trying to help.”
She fished around in her purse for a tissue and wiped her face. “I’m done.”
He sighed. “Do you want me to take you home instead of the office?”
Summer shook her head. “No. I’m done. Here.” She pointed from her to him. “Us. I’m done.”
Luke furrowed his brow. “I know you’re mad, but don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
She leveled a steely gaze at him. “Maybe. But I don’t care right now. You like this boat so much? Then why don’t you plan on staying on it for a while?” She turned and started walking toward the road.
Luke ran after her. “Summer, come on. Get in the truck.”
“No. I’m too tired. Tired of pretending everything is okay. Tired of pretending like we aren’t broken. I need some time alone.”
Something in her voice stopped him in his tracks. “You want me to leave you here?”
She lifted her chin defiantly. “I’ll call Ashley. She’ll come pick me up.”
He watched her walk toward the main road. There was no use in going after her.
If space was what she wanted, space was what she’d get.
Summer climbed into Ashley’s Honda Accord. “Thanks for coming to pick me up.”
Ashley looked at her with concern. “Are you okay?”
Summer shook her head. “No.” She put her head in her hands. “Can you take me home?”
“Of course.” Ashley turned the car toward downtown.
Summer tried to process everything, but her brain felt too foggy. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I know I’ve been out of the office most of the day.”
Ashley let out a sigh. “Don’t you think you should focus on something besides work right now?” She slowed down for a red light. “Something has obviously happened, something bad.” She looked at Summer. “Do you want to tell me what?”
Summer let out a shaky breath. She knew it seemed crazy to most people for her to be so focused on work, but that was what she’d clung to these past months. When everything else spun out of control, she could at least make sure her business ran smoothly. “Luke and I got into a fight. A big one.” She filled Ashley in on what had transpired at the marina. “And the awful part is that he probably thinks it’s about the money. It isn’t.” She shook her head. “He can buy all the boats he wants to buy. But that account was special.”
“I knew things between you guys had been strained, but I didn’t realize you were at the end of your rope like that.” Ashley pulled into the driveway at Summer and Luke’s house.
For
He swallowed. “It’s not a big deal.” He’d thought he’d have time to fix this before she found out.
“Not a big deal? Not a big deal?” Her voice rose with each word. “You used the money from the baby account, didn’t you?” she hissed.
He nodded. He’d known she might be a little upset but hadn’t counted on the venom he saw in her eyes. “Don’t get so worked up. It was just sitting there, and I thought that would be the best way to keep it a surprise.”
Tears rolled down her face. “I knew you didn’t want to keep trying to have a baby. But I never thought you’d do something like this.”
Luke paced in front of her. “We can replenish it.” He reached out to brush a tear away, but she stepped back. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Quit saying that. It
is
a big deal. At least to me.” She wiped her eyes and took another step backward. “You didn’t even consider how this would make me feel, did you?”
“I thought I was doing something that would make you happy.”
She shook her head. “You haven’t made me happy in months. You tried to pretend that our baby never existed.” Her tears started falling again, and this time she let them fall. “You wouldn’t talk about it, wouldn’t grieve with me.” She sobbed in earnest now. “And I didn’t have the energy to fight then. Not even when you emptied out the nursery and took all the baby stuff to the dump.”
“I was trying to help.”
She fished around in her purse for a tissue and wiped her face. “I’m done.”
He sighed. “Do you want me to take you home instead of the office?”
Summer shook her head. “No. I’m done. Here.” She pointed from her to him. “Us. I’m done.”
Luke furrowed his brow. “I know you’re mad, but don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
She leveled a steely gaze at him. “Maybe. But I don’t care right now. You like this boat so much? Then why don’t you plan on staying on it for a while?” She turned and started walking toward the road.
Luke ran after her. “Summer, come on. Get in the truck.”
“No. I’m too tired. Tired of pretending everything is okay. Tired of pretending like we aren’t broken. I need some time alone.”
Something in her voice stopped him in his tracks. “You want me to leave you here?”
She lifted her chin defiantly. “I’ll call Ashley. She’ll come pick me up.”
He watched her walk toward the main road. There was no use in going after her.
If space was what she wanted, space was what she’d get.
Summer climbed into Ashley’s Honda Accord. “Thanks for coming to pick me up.”
Ashley looked at her with concern. “Are you okay?”
Summer shook her head. “No.” She put her head in her hands. “Can you take me home?”
“Of course.” Ashley turned the car toward downtown.
Summer tried to process everything, but her brain felt too foggy. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I know I’ve been out of the office most of the day.”
Ashley let out a sigh. “Don’t you think you should focus on something besides work right now?” She slowed down for a red light. “Something has obviously happened, something bad.” She looked at Summer. “Do you want to tell me what?”
Summer let out a shaky breath. She knew it seemed crazy to most people for her to be so focused on work, but that was what she’d clung to these past months. When everything else spun out of control, she could at least make sure her business ran smoothly. “Luke and I got into a fight. A big one.” She filled Ashley in on what had transpired at the marina. “And the awful part is that he probably thinks it’s about the money. It isn’t.” She shook her head. “He can buy all the boats he wants to buy. But that account was special.”
“I knew things between you guys had been strained, but I didn’t realize you were at the end of your rope like that.” Ashley pulled into the driveway at Summer and Luke’s house.
For
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