I tied the garbage bag opening into a knot, tugging on the ends a bit more harshly than necessary. “Nothing is going on between us. There will never be anything between the two of us.” I opened a new trash bag and began stuffing things inside, not even bothering to consider if it was salvageable. If this creep, whoever they were, had touched it, I didn’t want it in my apartment. I shoved item after item into the bag.

“Bell.” I jolted as Kenna laid a hand on my shoulder. “Let us help you.”

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears. “Thank you.”

Caelyn wrapped her arms around both of us, bringing us into a huddle. “That’s what we’re here for. Anything you need. We’ve got you. You can move in with the tiny terrors and me for a while. You’d have to sleep on the couch, but you wouldn’t have to stay here.”

“There’s no extra bedroom at the guest cottage, but you could sleep on my couch, too. Or I’m sure Harriet would give you one of the guest rooms at the main house.”

I swallowed back the ball of emotion gathering in my throat. “Thank you.” I released my hold on both of them. “But I need to stay here. I need to make it my safe place again. Get rid of all the bad memories and leave only the good.”

Caelyn straightened. “I brought sage for just that reason. We can burn it after we clean up.”

Kenna groaned, and I chuckled. “I was hoping you might.”

Concern filled Caelyn’s features. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about Ford? He cares about you, Bells.”

I shook my head. “I’ll never be able to go there. I can’t.”

26

FORD

I muttered a curse as I almost dropped the bottle of Jack for the second time.

“How’s she holding up?”

I glanced up at Crosby for a split second before returning my attention to the drinks I was making. “She’s hanging in there.” Hanging in and making it really fucking clear that she had no need of me. Her support system was firmly in place, and I wasn’t a part of that.

Crosby took a sip of his Guinness. “I can’t tell if you’re pissed at the psycho, Bell, or both.”