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Those blue eyes turned shrewd "But you weren’t happy Addie and I weren’t a good ood for ether because you were both lonely and wanted to end that loneliness She’d felt that way a lot longer than you She wanted to be a wife and ain the world You offered it to her so she took it" I that out "Sorry"

"Sorry because it’s true?"

"Maybe" Rory exhaled "Look, you should’ve been honest with her when you started having doubts"

Dalton laughed A little hysterically

"What?"

"Nothin’"

"You insisted on this honesty thing, you damn well better stick to it"

His blue eyes were fierce when he got in her face "I had worries, not doubts, certainly not flat-out what the fuck a onI didn’t feel that doubt, that absolute wrongness of standing in front of a minister, about to pro woman until…"

Rory didn’t back down and she wouldn’t let him either "Until…?"

"Until I looked across the altar and saw you"

Every molecule of air left her body

"In that est mistake of my life Don’t insult me and pretend you didn’t feel it when I looked at you, Rory"

She’d felt it Everything she’d ever wanted froht there in his eyes…as he was about to marry her best friend

"Since I’ve had several days to do nothin’ but think about this fucking mess, I realized if you’d been here instead of in South Aod You are not seriously bla if you’d been around I would’ve been reether in the last six years? Let’s not forget all the shitty things that you’ve done to rabbed her upper ars we’ve done to each other You’re not completely blameless in this, Rory"

She hated the truth in that statement He’d acted; she’d reacted She closed her eyes "Stop Let go ofthis to each other? You should’ve just married her and we’d be done with this"

"No"

"Yes"

"No, goddaaze

"I’ve got no idea on how to ht now" His eyes were filled with anguish "I won’t compound the proble you to be with me here Even when that’s what I want" He reached for her ponytail, sifting the long strands through his fingers "It’s what I’ve alanted"

"Don’t do this to me"

"I can’t help it"

"I can’t be with you anyway My life is in Laraet ree I’ve busted et to this point"

"What then?"

"I don’t knohere I’ll be when I’m done with school But I know exactly where you’ll be"

"Where?"

"Right here"

"Don’t be so sure of that"

Now Rory kneas bullshitting her His McKay roots were sunk deep in ranching, his fa He’d never leave

Except…last ti untethered She thought he’d found an anchor in Addie But now hepiece in his life

Don’t get your hopes up

Confused by his s would work out between them like they were supposed to, she scooted off the rock

"Rory Don’t go"

"I can’t stay here with you, Dalton I need…tiain?"

"I leave for Laramie on Sunday"

She started up the path toward her house

"Don’t leave things like this Please"

When had Dalton McKay ever said please? She found herself stopping and facing him "When do you want to talk?"