Fuck, this was not how he wanted to tell Chloe. She deserved better than that. But if he didn’t do it now, things would get a lot worse. “I care about Chloe,” he couldn’t tell Ethan how he really felt, “but…” he faced her. “I came here tonight to end things between us.”
Like a switch had been flipped, Ethan went from pleased to pissed in one second flat. “What the hell?” he yelled.
“What?” Chloe flinched. With anguish etched on her face, she put a hand to her chest. “I told you I loved you, and we… we…” She pointed to the sofa. “You were going to have sex with me knowing how I felt while you didn’t feel the same way. You were ending things! How could you do that to me?”
“Chloe—” He took two steps toward her.
She retreated, putting out her hand like a stop sign. “Don’t. You’re just like all the bad dates I’ve been on, only worse. They showed me their true colors right from the start. Even Owen. But you”—she shook her head—“you waited until I fell in love with you before you tore my heart out.”
She was right. He was lower than dirt. Lower than pond scum. He deserved every invective she deigned to throw at him. God, this was killing him. Better that she hated him. It would be easier for her to move on in the long run. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I do care—”
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, cutting him off. Ethan spun him around. “Time to go. I think you’ve done quite enough damage, old friend.” The last two words came out in a sneer.
Theo had to stay and make Chloe understand that this was for the best. He needed to tell her why he couldn’t stay with her. Ethan couldn’t make him leave. “What? No. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
Chloe stopped them before they descended into a Daffy Duck/Bugs Bunny shouting match. “What are you? Children? You!” She pointed at Ethan. “Get out! And you!” She turned to Theo. “Stay. We’re not done.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Ethan glared over her head at Theo.
“Oh, yes you are. If you’re not gone in three seconds, I will throw you out. You know I can.” She’d grown up with two rough-and-tumble older brothers. Theo knew she could take Ethan on.
“Come on, Chloe. Tell that fucker to leave, not me.” He jerked a finger in Theo’s direction.
“One.”
Ethan stared wide eyed at Chloe. “You’re going to let him stay?”
“Two.”
“I’m only trying to protect you.” His shoulders sagged. Theo had watched Ethan protect his family for as long as he could remember. This had to be agonizing for him.
She pulled her shoulders back and held her ground. “You need to stop trying to protect me. I can take care of this myself. Please leave so I can talk to Theo.”
Ethan scrubbed a hand in his hair. “It’s hard for me to walk away.”
Chloe put her hands on Ethan’s shoulders, staring intently into his face. “You have to. I’ve got this. I had a good mentor.”
A vein ticced in the side of Ethan’s clenched jaw. He gave a curt nod, threw Theo another deadly stare, and blew out of the apartment.
Chloe closed the door behind him and stared at it. “Did what we shared together mean anything to you?” Her voice was so low, he barely heard her.
“Chloe—”
She spun around to face him. Her eyes shimmered with tears. “Or was this all a joke to you?”
“God, no.” Theo stepped toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
She shook herself free. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
His arms dropped to his sides.
Holding a clenched fist to her chest, her face screwed up with pain. “I poured my heart out to you. Told you I loved you. I should have known you didn’t love me when you didn’t say it back.” She threw her head back and gave a mirthless laugh. “This is all my fault. Well, the joke’s on me now, isn’t it? I didn’t give you a chance to say anything because I threw myself at you. You’ve been honest with me from the start, I’ve been the one who’s pushed for more. Wishing for things from you, you can’t give. I should have known you didn’t love me.”
Not love her?He was stepping away to give her the life she wanted because he loved her more than he ever thought possible. “I’m sorry, I should never have let it go so far.”