After the Hurt by Shana Gray

what he wanted to feel. Not now or ever, and it depressed him to think that he might never find a love like theirs again.
    “I see.” Olivia looked up at him. He couldn’t read any expression in her eyes so her next words confused the hell out of him. “I’m so sorry, Tank. It simply took me by surprise to see her. I best get the groceries put away.”
    She rose onto her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek, but he gripped her arm and shoved her away. She repulsed him and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
    “You are leaving. Now.”
    —
    Time was crawling by and Pepper was close to bursting with boredom. Trying to occupy herself, she moved some pictures around, changed the furniture, and hauled a nice big piece from the den into the wonderfully large en-suite bathroom. The whole time she was on high alert for sounds from next door.
    She’d also reorganized the kitchen cupboards and was surprised to find familiar pieces stashed in the back corner of a lower cupboard. Mismatched antique dishes they’d bought in St. Jacobs market a long time ago. Why had he squirreled them away like that? She placed them on the counter instead of leaving them in the dark corner.
    By the time she was done making it a little homier, Pepper had found a few other things he’d stashed, including an old sweater she had bought for him and often worn herself. Tank had joked that she hadn’t really bought it for him at all. He’d been right. She had bought it for herself. She smiled at the warm memory. She held the sweater up to her nose and balled her fists in its cozy warmth. The fleece still held a slight scent of his cologne. She couldn’t help her hurt feelings when she found these items tucked away. It was like their history was disposable or something. She placed the sweater on her bed and smoothed the wrinkles with her palms. Pepper realized now that she hadn’t thought how her leaving would impact their relationship. She’d given no consideration to whether it would be put on hold or if he’d wait for her while she worked out her issues. But then, not talking to him while she’d been away hadn’t really helped the situation. God, if she could have a do-over! So many things she’d do differently.
    After a long afternoon, she’d finally made the loft comfortable, though her bags were still unpacked in the bedroom. She wasn’t ready to tackle that yet. It was a shock to see how late it was. No wonder she was starving and exhausted. When she caught a whiff now and then of food cooking, it nearly drove her mad with hunger. There was nothing she could make to eat until she went shopping. The sandwich long gone, she pined for the other part she’d dropped on the floor.
    Pepper was tempted to knock on Tank’s door and invite herself for dinner and, more important, ask why he had hid all those things she’d found. That would twist ol’ Olivia’s knickers in a knot to be sure. But she wasn’t in the mood for conflict. There would be enough of that in the days to come.
    She glanced out the window and shivered at the blowing snow. It would take her a while to get used to this weather. The thought of going out in it didn’t appeal to her at all. But she would have to soon to get her ID replaced. That thought was totally depressing, which called for a glass of wine. Something from the restaurant downstairs would be just perfect. She was drawn like a magnet too, not just for the food, but to see how it operated. She’d seen the grand opening signs earlier. He must have had a soft opening a while ago and planned the big event for later. Excited about that, she smiled.
Perfect timing.
She would see if there was anything she could do to help out. It wasn’t like her to be frivolous and waste time anymore. She nodded firmly. Yes, she’d find something.
    She quickly freshened up, changed, and then dashed into the hall, pausing briefly at Tank’s door to eavesdrop. Maybe she would hear something interesting. Strains