There it was. “I don’t need your help. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to tell me what I’m feeling or how I should feel. I know what I want.” And it wasn’t a man who thought she needed his help to exist. “I know it’s hard for you to comprehend things, but it’s not that hard to understand.”

His head snapped back as though she’d slapped him. For the first time he looked at her as though he had no idea who she was.

“Wow.” He swallowed. “Thanks for that. But despite what anyone believes about how my brain works, I do figure things out every once in a while.”

She took a few steps back, all the way back. Across the room. She’d hurt him. She knew that. She’d tried to warn him that she would, but he hadn’t listened. “Then why can’t you figure out that I want you to leave? I . . .” She had to say it. “I don’t want this anymore. I’m done.”

No matter how he looked right now, he’d be okay. He was good at being okay. His ease scared her. His ability to seek and claim happiness scared her. The fact that he thought he could seek happiness with her was absurd.

At least he’d figured out the kind of hurt she could cause. “Go.” It was better than his figuring out how much he mattered. Because that was when he’d figure out how to use it, how to hurt her back. She’d rather be the one doing the hurting. Yes, that’s exactly who she was. Her father was right, she was the one who had to do the controlling.

His jaw was tight with pain. “Fine. If that’s what you believe will keep you safe. It’s just as well. I thought I could be what you wanted, but I can’t.”

“And what is that?”

“An inflatable doll you can fuck and then let the air out of. So you can roll it up and shove it in that closet where you shove everything you don’t want anyone to see.” He walked to the door.

Then he turned to her again, his beautiful face so filled with disappointment it was like having her arm twisted until it broke.

“Isn’t it ironic that you accused me of not being able to stick with things? Of using projects to feel good about myself? Turns out it was never about sticking with things, it was about letting things matter. Have you ever considered why you need to solve the problems of every woman in the world? Have you ever considered what you use your project for?”

“Why did you have to ruin it?” she whispered, trying to brace herself against the wave of pain that flowed from him.