Page 85 of Finley

It was packed, zipped, and standing vertical with the handle half extended, and that was when he froze in place.

He hadn’t said a word, but as if he sensed him, Daniel raised his head, and the eyes that landed on his were distant, detached. That expression was the one Daniel had first arrived with. Not the easygoing smile he’d flashed before he’d left this morning, and Brantley suspected that whatever was about to come wasn’t going to ease the fist tightening its grip around his heart.

“Hello,” he said, needing to know what the hell was going on and fast, or he was likely going to fall apart.

Daniel got to his feet, and instantly, the stiff shoulders, the tense posture, and the hard line of his jaw told Brantley one thing: their time had come to an end. What he couldn’t work out waswhy?

“Hello.”

The clipped and cold word had him automatically defensive.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, glancing at the suitcase and then back at Daniel.

“Yes. I have to go home.”

“To Chicago?”

“Yes.”

“Today?”

“Yes.”

The word was final, and he was struggling to understand what the hell had happened since he’d been gone.

“I thought you still had a week…”

“I do—did,” Daniel corrected as he locked eyes with him.

Brantley wanted to shout at him to tell him more. “But now you’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

Daniel looked at the watch he’d put back on and swallowed.Fuck. Brantley didn’t want to hear this—he was positive.

“My taxi will be here in about ten minutes.”

Ten minutes? Jesus, so soon.“Why?” he finally demanded. He didn’t care if Daniel looked like he wanted to throw up. He wanted to know what the fuck had happened. “Did I do something?—”

“No,” Daniel said with absolute finality.

Brantley made himself walk farther into the room and went to reach for him, but Daniel shook his head and moved his hand away. The refusal was a razor-sharp knife to the heart.

“It’s work. I have to go back for a meeting.”

Brantley blinked several times and then asked, “A meeting? You’re on vacation. Can’t they have it without you?”

“No.”

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because it’s for partnership.”

He narrowed his eyes, and when his mouth opened, Daniel was already there, answering his unasked question.

“Mypartnership. They offered it to me last week. I got a phone call from the office, and then my boss called to confirm it and?—”