I walked away and headed to the elevators, but before I took two steps he was hot on my heels. “Oh no you fucking don’t,” he gritted out, getting into the elevator with me. I pushed the button for my floor and put in the special access code for him. And almost laughed about the symbolism in that small detail. The fact that Easton had the kind of life where one needed a special code to get to him.

As the elevator doors closed he got right back in my face. “I’m not going to beg you, Patrice, because I know that there’s nothing I can say that you won’t turn it into another self-righteous reason to condemn me and then yourself for caring about me.”

His eyes were a dark green now and blazing, to anyone else he would’ve looked angry, but I could see that he was hurting. “I fucked up. I should’ve done better. I don’t have a do-over, and I have to live with that.” He shook his head as the elevator stopped on my floor. “But there was never going to be a way for me to win when it came to us.”

I stood there not knowing what to say, too tired to try.

“You can tell yourself that you’re just saving us both by doing this.” He ran a hand under his nose, but somehow he kept the tears from falling. “Before we even really begun you’d already decided that I was going to disappoint you. Now I have. I hope your sanctimoniousness keeps you warm at night.”

With that he pushed past me and walked out of the elevator, but before taking the stairs to his place, he turned back to look at me, and in a strangled voice said, “You’re so much stronger than I am, Patrice, because I would never put my convictions ahead of the people I love. If had to do it again, I’d still make that call.”

I opened my mouth to tell him he was being unfair, but before I could, he pulled the door open and took the steps up to his place.

When I got to my apartment, I closed my eyes tight and tried to breathe through the tears that were threatening to spill. I kept repeating under my breath, this is for the best, this is for the best, this is for the best.

Easton needed someone who could be with him without reservation, who could love him without conflicts or guilt.

Maybe I just wasn’t that man.

Easton

“Are you all right?” Pri asked, the naked concern in her voice making me grimace.