Against the Odds: A Love Story by J. Adams

some ways you're no different than Jerome.”
    His piercing gaze snapped to mine and I saw anger flashing in his eyes. “Woman, don't you dare compare me to him! I would never cheat on you or treat you the way he did!”
    “No, you wouldn't cheat on me, but you sure know how to make me feel the same way he did! Oh, I'm fine to make out and get your kicks with, maybe even eventually sleep with, but not good enough to commit to.”
    “That's not true, Raine.” His voice broke slightly. “I could never use you that way. I  just think this is for the best.”
    “What's for the best exactly? Telling me you don't want me before you end up stuck with me? Is that what you mean?” I took a deep breath and pressed my lips together tightly. I suddenly felt tired, and I needed to be away from him. I silently emptied the cups and put them back in the basket. Then I picked up the blanket and folded it. “Take me back, please.”
    He closed his eyes and sighed. “I never meant to hurt you, Raine.”
    Yeah, whatever. “I'm done talking. Just take me back.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    If pain could be buried in a hole in the ground, the earth would be dead.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Fourteen
    T he ride back to the ranch was completely silent. When we reached Caroline's, I said nothing as I got out. There was nothing left to say. But as I watched Hayden take off up the driveway toward his house, I felt him literally yank my heart away and take it with him. And I knew I would never get it back.
    I was numb as I entered the house. Caroline met me in the hallway. She took one look at my face and knew something had happened. Saying nothing, she took my hand and guided me to the living room. It wasn't until we sat on the couch and she put her arms around me that I began to fall apart. Once the tears started, I couldn't seem to stop them.
    Caroline held me and rocked me while I cried. I couldn't believe this was happening. Hayden had completely pushed me away. For some reason he didn't want me anymore, and now I just wanted to die. I had never experienced anything so excruciatingly painful in my life. I loved him so much and I didn't know how I would be able to live without him. Even though I had been married before, Hayden truly was, without a doubt, my first love, and he would be my only one. There was no one else in the world for me but him.
    When I could finally stop crying enough to speak, the only thing I was able to get out was, “Hayden doesn't want me anymore. He told me to go back to Atlanta.” Just saying it brought more tears.
    “What happened?” Caroline asked, handing me a box of tissue from the end table.
    It was still another full minute before I could speak again. Then I told her about the second phone call and how upset Hayden was because I hadn't told him. I told her everything that was said between us.
    By the time I was done, I felt a little relief having gotten it all out, but the pain was still prominent and cut through me like a knife.
    “Raine, I want you to listen to me,” Caroline said, taking my hand. “It's like I told you this morning. That man is scared, pure and simple. He's scared of losing you.”
    I sniffed and wiped my eyes. “I know what you said, but how can I believe that? He just spent a half an hour telling me to go back to Atlanta and take the job. I tried and tried to tell him that I didn't care about the job, but he wouldn't listen.”
    “That's because he's running scared. He's trying to make you leave now because he thinks he'll eventually lose you anyway.” She sighed. “I know Hayden, Raine. I've been around him long enough to know what makes him tick. And as sure as I'm sitting here I know he's feeling that you'll one day get tired of this life and want to go back. So if he makes you want to leave now, it will save him the heartache of dealing with it later. I know it doesn't make any sense to you, but it does to him, and right