Davis could feel the tension in her body as she sat up.
“Talk to me, Willow. I mean if you hate me say it. I deserve it, but don’t—”
“Don’t what? Turn my back on you? Why not? You did it to me.”
He reached for her as she slapped his hand away. “Stop it, Willow.”
“No, you stop it! All those years and you couldn’t say... I mean, my God, what kind of thinking!”
“Thinking? I was thinking of nothing but you. My father was some low rent hood that built an empire out of stealing from people. He was great for cheating people out of money and running off. His enemies had no qualms about killing me or my mother to get to him. People thought he had money. My father was broke. There was no money and what little he had, burned up in that accident that killed him.”
“So, you threw me away instead?”
He climbed off of the bed and came to her.” No. I made a choice to distance myself to protect you.”
“Why bother to come back now?”
“Because I had no where else to go. I travelled the places we dreamt of going as kids and all it did was make me miss you more. “
She rushed past him.
“Where do you think you’re going? We’re not finished.”
“Someplace where I know I won’t be lied to. Anything has to be better than here.” She looked around for her clothes and let her hands fall to her sides. “Great, so you took my clothes, too?”
“Willow...”
“Don’t take another step in my direction. I can’t be trusted around you.”
She bent over and started coughing. He walked over to her and she backed away from him. She warily walked around him and grabbed the sheet from the bed and covered herself.
“Fine. I’ll get your bag and I’ll drive you to Beth’s house.” He walked out of the room, slamming the door. “Bit you’re still in danger so don’t do anything.”
“What stupid? Well that’s me all around. Caught up in the memory of a man that couldn’t trust me with the truth.”
Davis paced the living room. It was his worst nightmares come true. She would never have him now. He’d lied to her in every way a man could, but couldn’t she see that he’d done it to keep her safe?
It was an act of love that kept him away all those years. He scrubbed at his eye and walked into the guest room to grab her bag. He had a good mind to simply keep her bag in the other room so that she would be naked. Hell, she was naked without him anyway.
Just then Davis heard his back door close. He rushed into the bedroom to find her gone. The sheet she’d been wrapped in was on the floor with a swatch of blood on it. He picked it up, then bolted for the door. By the time he reached the street his phone was ringing.
“What?”
“She’s on her way to me now. Why couldn’t you just wait?”
“Beth.”
“I did some digging. I know who you are, Harlem. You had to make this about you and your guilt? She was falling in love with you anyway. You’ve lost her now. You realize, that don’t you?” She hung up on him and he roared.