Chapter 44

FORTY-FOUR

Mina

I hold it together long enough to navigate the halls of the Reversal of Fortune Foundation, but as the front doors whoosh shut behind me, tears roll down my face. By the time I'm safely seated in my Honda, I'm hiccupping back sobs, my forehead leaning on the steering wheel as the Florida heat swelters out the open door. Walking out of Nathan's office, unsure as to whether I'll see him again, was the hardest thing I've ever done.

But it was the right choice.

If he can't trust me, our relationship has no foundation and I'm not in the market for what Mom had with Dad. A lack of trust leads to bitterness, resentment, and decay.

I don't want to live like that.

I'm worth the real deal and so is Nathan.

If I have to walk away now so we can be better later, so be it.

I slam my hand against the steering wheel and silently scream until white-hot rage gives way to icy sorrow. I breathe through it, giving myself space to feel whatever comes up. When the tears stop, I take a few deep breaths, then angle the rearview to wipe my red-rimmed eyes.

"You're gonna be okay," I say to the woman in the mirror. "You're no stranger to hard work. You'll keep the job at The Depot until Bancroft and Blake starts earning money. It'll be tight and your days will be long, but you know how to do that. You've done it before. You're strong. You're capable. It's just one foot in front of the other for a little longer."

But what if Nathan never comes back? she asks, not at all concerned about money or long hours.

"You'll pick yourself up and dust yourself off. You're not really built for relationships anyway."

The woman in the mirror doesn't look convinced.