Blaine had driven back to his apartment in slow motion, taking such a long route that he didn’t pull into his parking space until a couple of hours later. He was consumed by images of Rosie and what it had felt like to kiss her. How her voice had sounded when she told him about her ex. The way her tears caressed her cheek, and the protective rage that had torn through him.

And then later, after her kiss had sent him reeling, the smile in her eyes when she told him he was a good man and that she’d wasted her time in high school.

He’d wanted her to look at him that way for so long.

It seemed so unfair that she finally was when he wasn’t available.

But he could be.

All it would take was one tricky conversation.

Was it the right thing to do?

With a heavy sigh, he trudged up the stairs to his place. The cold had seeped right into him, and all he wanted was a hot shower and sleep.

But that wasn’t an option.

The second he walked in the door, his heart sank.

Erin was sitting on the couch waiting for him. She was curled up in a blanket staring at the TV screen.

It wasn’t on.

Blaine’s chest hurt as he studied her milky white skin, framed so beautifully by her shock of red hair. She’d always been a unique kind of pretty. That’s what had first grabbed his attention. Her bright green eyes, so full of life and determination. She was a strong woman, and at the time they met, she’d been exactly what he needed.

But things had changed.

He’d found his own strength, and whether they’d been aware of it or not, it had pulled them apart. That was why he hadn’t followed her to Minneapolis. He hadn’t needed to. He’d been fine without her.

Their drifting apart had happened so slowly that he didn’t even recognize the distance until he stood there gazing at her taut, angry expression.

“Are you cheating on me?”

“No.” He shook his head, although the guilt surging in his chest told him he was lying. He may not have slept with Rosie, but his heart had started cheating the second he pulled her over for speeding.

“It’s midnight. I’ve tried calling you, texting. Is your phone broken?”

“I turned it off.”

“Great,” she spat. “So you weren’t at work. You weren’t with Lucas. You weren’t at the tavern,” she snapped. “Where the hell have you been?”

“I had to see someone about a case, and then I went for a drive so I could process.”

Her eyes narrowed but he gazed straight back, knowing it was time to end this. She knew it too.

Pulling at the bunched tissue in her hand, she scoffed and shook her head. “You’re not going to tell me what you were really doing, are you?”

“I wasn’t lying, Erin. I really did go to question someone about a case.” He held back the rest, not wanting to ignite her fire or hurt her feelings. He wasn’t breaking up with her for another woman…at least that wasn’t the only reason.

Throwing the blanket aside, she stood and paced away from him.

“You know, I haven’t wanted to acknowledge it. This distance between us. If anything, I’ve been trying to fight it.” She flicked the hair over her shoulder and spun back to face him. “I’ve been trying to come back as much as I can. Hold on to you. But tonight, as I sat here waiting, not knowing where you were, I realized that you don’t want me to hold on anymore.” Her head dipped forward. “You don’t want to move to Minneapolis with me. And it has nothing to do with Aspen Falls and everything to do with me.”

He winced, hating the broken sound of her voice. “I don’t want to hurt you. I want to be a good, supportive boyfriend, but…”

“But what? You don’t love me anymore?”

The way her eyes shone with tears made his heart ache, but Louanne was right, he couldn’t keep dragging her along. “I’ll always care about you, Erin. But I think our time is over. Life was so different when we first started dating. We needed each other, but now our jobs have taken over and we’ve changed. We’ve both changed.”

She closed her eyes with a heavy sigh and finally bobbed her head. “I know. I just hate to lose.”

Blaine’s lips twitched as his eyebrows pinched together. “You hate to lose me, or you hate to admit that you’re in a failing relationship?”

Her smile and shrug told him the latter was the strongest reason. Erin had been successful all her life. Failing was not an option, which was why she’d fought so hard for so long. But this was a losing battle she couldn’t win.

“We’re going to be okay.”

“I know.” She pulled herself tall. “Hey, I’d still like to be friends…eventually.”

Blaine smiled. “I’d like that too.”

Sucking in a breath, she walked toward him. With a sad smile, she took his hand and rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. “I’m going to miss fighting with you over breakfast.”

He snickered but couldn’t bring himself to say that he wouldn’t. He’d hurt her enough for one night.

Her smile quickly dissolved and she put her game face on. The one that meant no one could hurt her. “I’m due back in Minneapolis tomorrow, so can you drop my stuff off at my brother’s house? I’ll collect it when I’m back one weekend.”

“Okay.”

Snatching her handbag off the floor, she hitched it onto her shoulder and looked at him. “I know you’ll be tempted to call and check that I’m doing okay, but please don’t. Just give me some space to lose myself in work and realize that life without you is just fine. I’ll call you when I’m ready to be friends.”

“Okay.”

They shared a meaningful smile, and then she left.

The apartment had never felt so big as it did in that moment. Sinking down onto the couch, Blaine stared up at the ceiling and exhaled a deep breath.

Part of him was relieved it was over. He didn’t have the pressure of moving in with anyone. He was free again.

But another part hurt.

Breaking up, even when it was right, sucked.