He gave a tight nod.
"Like what?" I said. "Like out of some real estate deal that's gone south?" I blinked long and hard. This wasn't the way I wanted it. Probably, I should be giving him some credit. He was, after all, offering to live up to his end of the bargain.
Talk about humiliating.
I pulled my hand from his. "Forget it." I took a deep breath and said, "We can pretend it never happened." I forced a stiff smile. "See? All better."
It was a lie, and he'd be a fool to believe it. But now, all I wanted was to slink away and forget the last two days had ever happened. So I didn't wait for his reaction. Instead, summoning up whatever dignity I could muster, I lifted my chin and calmly walked past him.
This time, he let me go. Unsure what else to do, I walked through the kitchen and made a beeline for the main stairway. I had to give myself credit. I didn't start crying until I reached my bedroom. And then, I did it quietly, with the music on, behind my locked bedroom door.
Whether he heard me or not, I had no idea.
When I woke, he was gone.