Page 74 of The Weekend Getaway

“We’ll still be able to see a lot of each other. We can speak every day on the phone.”

“How long is that going to last?” she wondered out loud.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, your plan might be okay for a couple of months, but then you’ll get caught up with your life back home and I’ll be busy here.” She shook her head. “I can’t see this working out for long.”

“Do you have an alternative?” he asked gently.

Pressing her lips together, she tried not to react immediately. To her, the alternative was clear: he could stay in Bristol and they could carry on as they were. Apparently that hadn’t even entered his head as a possibility. Maybe his feelings just weren’t as strong as hers. If that was the case, why was she even bothering?

“Do you think things would work out between us long term if you weren’t leaving?” Forcing herself to look at him, she caught both the surprise and confusion in his features.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t they? Things will also work outeven thoughI’m moving.”

“I think you’re being naive. We have fun together, but maybe we should be honest and admit that maybe that’s all this is …” Surely that’s all it was for him or he wouldn’t be leaving.

“You can’t be serious?” His brow was furrowed and his eyes so sorrowful that she couldn’t stand to look at him.

“Iamserious. I think we probably want different things out of life.”

“Like what?”

She stared at the floor, all logical thinking evaporating as hurt and anger raged inside her. “Like a career. You have no career ambitions whatsoever. I think that will annoy me eventually.”

“You have a problem with my job?”

“I just always imagined being with someone who was more career-minded.”

He choked out a humourless laugh. “Is this about your dad, by any chance?”

Her head snapped up. “No. Why?”

“Your dad worked in pubs and never had enough money, so you think I’ll be the same.”

Fat tears pooled on her lower lids. She’d only been ranting out of frustration, but he had a point. She didn’t want to spend her life worrying about money like her parents did.

“This has nothing to do with my dad.” The brittleness of her voice betrayed the full weight of her emotions. “You have this annoying attitude that everything will just turn out okay. You work in a pub because it’s a laugh, which would be fine if you were a student or something, but you’re a grown-up. You should have a grown-up job.”

In the ensuing silence, Keira’s heart crashed against her ribcage. She’d gone too far. Why had she even said that? She loved him and didn’t care where he worked. Oh crap.She loved himand he was leaving and his absence hurt before he’d even left. As she opened her mouth to apologise and take back what she’d said, his voice cut through the atmosphere.

“You do realise the only reason your parents have money problems is because your dad’s a gambling addict?”

“What?” Her anger levels shot back up and she glared at him accusingly.

His hard gaze didn’t leave her face. “I don’t have any money problems. It’s wrong that your parents take money from you, but I would never do that.”

“You don’t know anything about my parents’ situation.” Keira wiped tears from her cheeks. “My dad isn’t a gambling addict, and it’s pretty presumptuous of you to jump to conclusions after meeting them once.”

He dropped his head to his hands and dragged his fingers through his hair. “If this isn’t about your dad, why are you having a go at me for working in a pub? Is it really an issue for you? Because if you want to dictate what I do for a living, we should probably end things now.”

“I don’t want to tell you what to do for a living, but maybe it is better for us to end things now.” Her chin wobbled and her eyes blurred with tears.

Noah stepped in front of her, a hand cupping her cheek. “I didn’t mean it. Of course I don’t want to end things. I just don’t understand why you’re pushing me away.”

“I’m not pushing you away.” She snatched his hand from her face. “You’releaving me.”

“I’m not leavingyou.”