“No,” he insisted, rope in hand as he climbed the ladder. “Look, there’s a leak. Marcus, call the plumber.”

Marcus’s phone was already in hand.

“If I just screw it in here instead—”

“Just leave it alone,” I snapped. “You’re not helping, Luke! It’s just going to—”

“For fuck’s sake, Tess, I’ve got it,” he snapped back, glaring at me.

Another groan, a snap. The lot of us yelped and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the other side of the installation falling in a poof of dust and wheat.

We stared silently at the wreckage for a long, breathless moment. Everything we’d worked for, all we’d done…gone.

The installation. My relationship. My heart.

Gone.

In its place rose a wave of frustrated fury, and I leaned into it as I looked up at him.

“I told you not to touch it.” The words trembled, quiet and contained. “But you just did whatever you wanted. You didn’t listen to anyone but yourself. Just like always.”

“I was trying to help. I was trying to make it right. I didn’t do this, Tess. I didn’t force a leak. I didn’t make it fall. I didn’t do this.”

“No, you’re right. You’re innocent, as always. It’s never your fault. Nothing—nothing—is ever your fault,” I snapped.

Natalie interjected, her voice hard, “It’s clear that we’re off for today. I know I put a difficult timeframe on you, and you delivered something truly outstanding. But there is no way for me to shoot this, and I’m not certain you can conduct yourselves in a way that we’ll be able to photograph you all and the rest of the shop. I need to talk to my team, figure out what to do. We’ll be in touch.”

Luke hurried down from the ladder. “Natalie, please. Wait.”

He hopped down, following her as she hauled ass out of the shop. I watched them talk on the sidewalk—Natalie stern and closed, Luke pleading. With a narrowing of her eyes and a curt nod, they parted.

The second he started for the door, I started for the back.

Because I couldn’t. I couldn’t face him. I couldn’t control my tears. I couldn’t understand what had happened with the shoot, with the shop, with Luke. And I couldn’t fathom what would come.

All I knew was that I needed to get somewhere safer than this in order to figure it out.

He called after me. I didn’t stop. I’d leave through the back. Go home. Pray Dad wasn’t awake. I’d climb into my bed and stay there until my tears were dry and I had a plan.

“Tess,” Luke called again, closer.

I picked up my pace.

“Tess, stop.” He hooked his hand in my elbow and pulled me to a stop.

“Let me go.” With a whirl and a snap, I removed my arm from his grip, glaring up at him through angry tears.

“Please, let me explain.”

“You were with her last night. That’s why you came back here so upset.”