“But he didn’t.”
“We don’t know that for sure.” Faith backpedaled. “Who knows what he would have done?”
“I can’t deal with this now. It’s too much.” Numb with shock, she backed away on leaden legs. Her marriage wasn’t provisional—it was a sham!
“Amity, wait. It’s not as bad as you think. The way he looks at you—he loves you now. I’m sure of it.”
She wasn’t sure of any such thing. She stumbled from the pottery studio.
Chapter Fifteen
The cabins were dark, their occupants asleep in the wee hours of the morning as Marshall trudged home. Exhaustion turned his feet to lead, and uncertainty weighed heavily on his heart. After storming out after the fight and disappearing for the better part of a day, he couldn’t imagine what kind of a reception he’d get.
He hadn’t intended to be gone this long—hadn’t planned to leave the compound at all. If only he hadn’t stopped by the woodshop—but he had, and he’d gotten drafted. When Tailless was around, shit happened.
At least the separation had given him time to come to his senses. He stepped onto the porch, determined to make amends and fix his marriage.
Quietly, he let himself into their unit. In the darkness, he spotted an unmoving, silent lump in the bed. He tiptoed closer. “Amity? Are you awake?” he whispered.
“You were going to leave me,” she deadpanned.
He’d been afraid she’d think that. “I didn’t leave you. The Artisan’s Loft doc was helping out at another settlement. Tailless hurt himself again. I had to take him to an infirmary at another site.” Blood had been shooting everywhere. Tailless was sweeping sawdust when he fell and impaled himself on an awl.
Chartreuse and Bragg had been about to leave to deliver a load of tables, so he had been tasked with running Tailless to the doctor. They’d put him on a stretcher, loaded him into the back of the conveyance, and he’d left. He hadn’t expected the trip to take the rest of the day and half the night. “Would it be okay if I turned on the light?” He needed to see her.
“Whatever,” she said dully.
“I should have gotten word to you.” He lit the lamp.
“I’m not referring to today. I’m talking about when we fled Terra Nova.”
He stiffened with dismay and understanding. He wondered how she’d found out. Bragg? Faith? One of them must have told her. He turned.
Her eyes were red and swollen, her face puffy. The anguish he’d caused struck him like a punch to the gut. “Is it true? You weren’t going back for me until Faith insisted? You were going to leave me on Terra Nova?”
“No, it’s not,” he denied unequivocally to avoid causing further pain, although the truth was nuanced and far less simple.
“Don’t lie to me!”
“I’m not lying. It looks bad, but please let me explain.”
“Like you let me explain?” she fired off, getting out of bed. She crossed her arms over the granny nightgown she wore.
“Then you know that things are not always what they seem,” he said. “I’m sorry for my reaction in the library. The Cosmic Mates match caught me by surprise and triggered my insecurities. I’m so sorry for assuming the worst.” He hoped a reminder how he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion would allow her to see she might be wrong, too.
He approached her and gently grasped her upper arms.
She averted her face.
“Despite what the others believe, I would not have left Terra Nova without you. They heard what I said—I don’t deny I said it—but they don’t know my thoughts or feelings. I already cared for you. I did believe we were too late to save you, but I wouldn’t have left without making absolutely certain. Faith pressed the issue, but I would have gone back for you on my own, I swear it.” She had to believe him!
She wasn’t saying anything, and he felt like he would throw up. What if he couldn’t fix this? What if this was the end? Heloved her. He needed her. He took a breath. “If you don’t believe me, I hope you can at least forgive me.”
She lifted her head. Anguished eyes held a glimmer of hope.
“Feelings changed the situation for me. If it had been anyone but you, I wouldn’t have gone back—that’s how certain I was you’d already been killed. But I couldn’t do it. Like Faith, I had to know.
“It was sheer luck I got to you before Rogers and Glenn did. They had trashed your cottage when I got there. If you hadn’t left to go to Faith’s, they would have killed you.
