So do I, she thought weakly. But that didn’t seem to matter to him. He had stars in his eyes, and they were blinding him to everything else, including her.

“I can’t believe you made this decision without even talking to me.”

“I know I should’ve said something earlier, but I didn’t want to muddy the waters. Come on, Soph. This doesn’t have to be the end or anything. We can keep in touch and see what happens.”

She flinched. See what happens? Those words, more than anything else he’d said, showed she’d perceived their relationship much differently than he had—regardless of his heat-of-the-moment proclamations.

She left the swing, crossing her arms against the sudden chill in the air. She was shaking, trembling from the inside out. “I think you should go now, Aiden.”

He rose, giving her that puppy dog look. “Come on, Sophie . . .”

“I mean it, Aiden.” Her voice somehow sounded like steel even though she was melting inside. “If you want to go, then go. But don’t think I’m going to follow you or hang around here waiting on you.”

He searched her face somberly, his eyes drooping sadly at the corners, his smile long gone.

Sophie didn’t wait to see what he’d say or do next. She had her own life, her own problems to deal with, and he was leaving her here to do it. Without another word she turned away from him, opened the door, and slipped inside.

chapter twelve

Piper’s Cove

Present Day

The potty run was taking longer than Aiden anticipated. Pippa didn’t seem to know what to do on the newspapers he’d spread across the floor. She must’ve never been paper-trained.

He guided her back to the papers. “Go potty, girl,” he said for the tenth time.

The dog peered up at him mournfully, eyes glowing in the beam of light, tail drooping.

“It’s okay. Go ahead and potty.”

He left her there and wandered around the perimeter of the garage, surveying the tools organized on the Peg-Board. Mr. Foster was a tidy man. The walls were bright white, and the concrete floor was clean enough to eat off of.

If Aiden was honest, he didn’t mind that Pippa was taking her own sweet time. Part of him dreaded the upcoming conversation with Sophie even though it was necessary. He was afraid he wouldn’t have answers for her questions about what he’d done.

What if, when they walked away from each other this time, they were no closer to a resolution? What if Sophie still hated him? What if leaving her still felt like the biggest mistake of his life?

The jingle of Pippa’s dog tags pulled him from his thoughts. The dog had done her business on the newspaper. She stared up at him, pride shining in her eyes.