“I’ve tried to ride this out. Be supportive.”

Them. Their relationship. He didn’t name the “this,” but she knew. “When? This whole thing just happened.”

He shook his head as he exhaled. “I mean before.”

She didn’t realize the exhaustion could press down even harder, but it did. “Really? You mean when you were warning me? For the record, that’s not my idea of support.”

“You know that’s not fair.”

“This is my worst day, Tim.” She didn’t add ever because he’d accused her of overreacting before, of jumping in instead of listening, and she refused to have that accusation leveled at her tonight.

“You were so busy trying to get ahead and competing that you missed the obvious signs of trouble. This isn’t a new thing, Jessa. It’s how you live your life, as if chaos and hope will get you where you want to be.”

That hit a little too close. She forced her body up. Somehow, she stood. She kept the coffee table between them, but she closed the yawning emotional gap.

“I begged you. I knew the Bartholomew family would dismantle your career,” he said.

Because he knew everything. Got it. “I told you that you were right. You win. Can we move forward now?”

His shoulders slumped, and he still didn’t move from that perch on the edge of the chair. “Not everything is a battle.”

“It sure feels like it.”

“I’m sorry, but I need a break.” His voice cut out a little before he started again. “From you. Some time away.”

With every other aspect of her life in disarray, she needed him to be specific, to spell it out. “How much time?”

“I don’t know.”

But he did. She could hear the faint goodbye in every sentence. “You can’t . . . not now. This is . . .” Then the truth hit her. Anger swelled inside her, trying to claw its way out. She’d broken the unspoken rule about not messing up her job, and he wanted out. “Oh my God. This is about your career. You’re worried my reputation is going to bring you down.”

He stood up. “I don’t want to do this with you.”

“You piece of shit.”

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

She stalked over to him. Got right in his face. Didn’t give him the choice of ignoring her. “You’re not even man enough to say you’re pushing me away to save your precious job. Things get tough, there goes Tim.” The words poured out of her now. She wanted to sharpen each comment and aim them right at him. Tear him apart as he was doing to her. “You have such a perfect life. It’s all been so easy. Mommy and Daddy paved the way, gave you the money and the splashy education.”