Gutted, she stared at the ground in disbelief. He was gone? Just like that? She wasn’t even worth an explanation? The ache in her chest magnified as that jarring reality sank in, but she closed her eyes, refusing to give in to the pain. She squared her shoulders, refitting the armor that had melted off under Tobias’s heated gaze, and turned around one last time, meeting her father’s disheartened gaze. “Now you know why I traveled and stayed away for so long.” She shifted a steely gaze to Blaine. “I hope you’re happy, because I’m sure as hell not.”

Chapter Ten

THREE DAYS, FIVE new stories, endless frustration, and too many tears down. How much more did Madigan have to endure until she felt normal again?

She reminded herself that the first three days after a breakup were the worst.

But we didn’t have a relationship, so we didn’t really break up.

She gripped her Jeep’s steering wheel tighter, mentally and physically exhausted. Between work, dodging her brothers, who she still couldn’t look in the eyes without getting upset, taking calls and texts from well-meaning friends and family, and her own neurotic need to run through every scenario possible with regard to Tobias, her emotions had run the gamut. She wished she could turn her brain off, but even in the few hours she’d slept each night, Tobias was front and center. Sometimes they were wrapped up in each other’s arms, but mostly she relived the awful confrontation with him and her brothers and woke up feeling sick.

But she was done wallowing, and as she drove toward LOCAL, she vowed for the hundredth time to pull her shit together. She was looking forward to seeing her grandfather and working with two new clients.

Her phone rang, and Marly’s name appeared on the screen on the dashboard. Marly had shown up Sunday morning with muffins and coffee and had understood when Madigan had begged out of a long visit. She’d called a couple of times each day, and knowing Madigan didn’t want to talk, she’d say things like, Still breathing? Good. Just checking, and then she’d hang up. Madigan couldn’t ask for a better friend.

She answered the call. “Hey, Mar.”

“Hi. I know you don’t want to talk about it, but have you heard anything from you-know-who?”

Madigan’s chest tightened. “No, and I still don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, just tell me this. Have you texted him yet?”

“No, and I told you I’m not going to. I refuse to chase a man who got all up in every inch of my body and left town without as much as a goodbye.”

“He’s probably afraid of your brothers.”