"You really think it's going to be that long?" He shrugged. "I'm just settling in, I guess. I'll travel. I have money, so I don't need to look for work right away. Maybe I'll take a little while off and relax. Do some exploring."
"So you're not planning on going back to Toronto?"
He shook his head. "Maybe for a visit, but not as a permanent residence. I'll probably end up in New
York. That's where I was born and raised, after all. Sometimes I even miss it."
She licked her lips. Her mouth was very dry.
She'd hoped for a sign that he felt something more for her than a passing fancy, but she sensed nothing.
Saw nothing in his eyes that told her he wanted her to stay.
Also, even after wracking her mind, she couldn't think of any excuse to stay with him if he didn't say something to her to give her a reason.
So be it.
She hoped her love for him would fade with time. She doubted it would, but she did hope.
He watched her, waiting for some sort of signal that would give him permission to fall at her feet. To take her into his arms and beg her to stay. But she was completely expressionless.
After he'd left the burning casino last night, he'd ended up at a low-end motel that didn't even have a slot machine. Barkley was the only one who knew where he went. He was the one who got the message to him about Janie's departure. And it had almost been to late to get to the airport in time.
The whole night he'd tossed and turned, running though the past couple of days in his head over and over and over again.
They'd been two of the worst days of his life.
Absolutely. No question about it.
Then how did they also become two of the best days of his life?
Only one reason for that. And it was the beautiful woman standing in front of him right now, only moments away from getting on a plane and leaving him forever.
Say something, he commanded himself.Tell her to stay. Ask her. Beg her. Whatever it takes .
But he said nothing, fighting hard to ignore the big knot of emotion tightening in his stomach until he felt ill from it. The pain was a great deal similar to not having enough blood. He was starving. He was dying inside.
"Okay, I guess this is good-bye, then," Janie said suddenly. She turned to look at him. "Good luck, Quinn. With everything."
"You, too." How could his voice sound so neutral and emotionless when he was a total wreck? He searched her face for some sign that she didn't want to leave him but found nothing. Her job was done.
She was finally free from her boss. She might be a vampire now, but she was strong enough to find her own way, wherever that would lead her.
Without him.
His jaw clenched.Suck it up . This was for the best.
A smile played at the edge of her beautiful mouth, and she closed the distance between them to kiss him lightly on the lips, her fingers tracing the edge of his jaw. "Take care of yourself."
He just nodded. She squeezed his hand once and then let him go, turning and walking away from him.
Don't go. Please. Stay with me.
He swallowed so hard it hurt, tears stinging the back of his eyes, and he watched her until she disappeared through a set of opaque glass doors. She didn't look back at him.
He stood in place for five full minutes.
Maybe someday he'd look her up again. When he had his life under control. Although when that was going to be was anybody's guess.
You should have stopped her, his subconscious scolded.
To do what? See if she wanted to spend her time with someone like him? She had better things to do with her life.
But you're in love with her.
Yeah. Well. Maybe this was part of his repentance. Give up what he wanted most in the world to even the scales of what he'd done in the past. His punishment.
He rolled his eyes at himself. Christ. No wonder she didn't even look back over her shoulder at him. He was such a whiner.
He'd get himself straightened out. Find his true purpose in life. Help those who needed his help. Show her that he deserved her.
It was a lousy plan, but it was the only one he had at the moment.
He made his way to a bank of windows and watched the planes taxi away from the airport before heading toward the runway. Finally, he saw the plane he knew Janie was on. He bit the inside of his mouth so hard that he tasted blood.
And then he turned away.
There was a slot machine right next to where he stood and he fished in his pocket for a quarter, slid it into the slot and pulled the handle.
He didn't win.
This amused him greatly for some reason.
He sighed heavily, trying to ignore the big empty place in his chest that felt like somebody had very recently ripped out his heart, and turned around.
Janie stood there with her hand on her hip. She looked pissed.
His eyebrows raised.
"Nice try," she said.
He was so shocked all he could say was, "What?"
"Thought I'd forget, didn't you?"
"Forget about what?"