“I know that. Why do you think I’m fighting so hard?” She reached for him. This was their first real fight and it had been a doozy.

He closed his eyes as her hands found his arms. “I have to do what’s right for her.”

“I know that, too.” They would talk and he would see that was all she was trying to do.

His eyes opened and she realized this wasn’t going to go the way she thought it would.

“I think you should go to your sister’s. I think we need some time apart. I should concentrate on Noelle.”

She took a step back, his words not making sense to her. It was a fight. They weren’t supposed to break up over an argument. “You’re kicking me out because Noelle and I had a disagreement?”

“You were saying terrible things to her. I can’t allow you to do that.”

She could barely breathe. “Did you think we would always get along?”

“Noelle gets along with everyone.”

“Yes, and that’s a problem. Can’t you see that? Can’t you see it’s not normal for her to never fight with anyone? She’s afraid to fight even for herself.”

He held a hand up. “I’m not going to listen to this crap. She’s a nice young lady. And she doesn’t have to fight for herself because I’m here to fight for her.”

“But you’re not.” Anger started to thrum through her. He’d been an illusion. If he wilted because they’d had one damn fight, they would never have worked. She was difficult. She knew that, but she’d thought he was the one man in the world who might stand beside her. “You’re not fighting for her at all. You’re sheltering her, and you’ll do it until she can’t have a life, and the crazy thing is, you won’t, either.”

A single brow rose over his eyes. “Oh, because I won’t let her put up with your abuse, I can’t have a life?”

“You’re stuck in that moment, too. You can’t forgive yourself for not being in that car with her.” She knew he wouldn’t listen to her, but she couldn’t stop talking. She loved him. She probably wouldn’t love anyone else the way she loved him, but she also knew when a man was done with her. “It wasn’t your fault, but this part is. You are her father. You have to protect her. Even from herself. I’ll send someone by to get my stuff. Not that there’s much of it.”

“You could apologize.” He took a deep breath and seemed to come to some resolution. “You could apologize to Noelle and then maybe we could work something out.”