Nodding, Alex smiled and grudgingly acknowledged her fantastic memory. “I can’t keep seeing you,” he said.
Topaz straightened. “What?” she whispered, her hands leaving his shirt. “Why?”
“Baby,” he sighed, cursing inwardly at his inability to tell her the entire truth.
“Alex?”
“It’s not fair to you.”
“Fair?” she whispered, her eyes narrowing.
“I never want to hurt you,” he said, his stare solemn and unwavering.
Topaz ignored the chill grazing her skin. “You don’t want to hurt me, but you’re telling me you can’t see me anymore after—”
“Love, I know you don’t understand this.”
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
Alex took both her hands in one of his. “Honey, if we continue to see each other, you will get hurt. I can’t let that happen.”
Suddenly, the confusion in Topaz’s eyes cleared and she wrenched her hands out of his. She could barely look at him as a wave of humiliation washed over her. While Alex’s explanations had been vague, they were telling enough. Obviously there was someone else—another woman he’d ... forgotten to mention while they were growing closer.
“Oh God,” she breathed, bringing her hand to her mouth as the reality increased her humiliation tenfold. “I was so ... so wrong about you... .”
“Topaz—”
“Would you leave? Please? You’ve said what you had to say, just go.”
Alex hesitated. When Topaz averted her face, he could see a lone tear stream down her cheek. He left the room quietly, his heart aching when he heard her breathless sobs through the closed door.
Later that morning, Topaz was seated on her front porch enjoying a cup of tea. She had taken a long shower where she’d tried to wash away all traces of Alexander Rice’s touch. Sadly, she could not erase the events of the previous evening from her memory.
“Paz!”
She looked up, seeing Casey Williams leaving his house. Forcing a smile to her face, she returned his wave. Casey tossed his briefcase into the flatbed of his navy blue Nissan truck, then walked across the street.
“What’s up, girl?” he greeted, taking his place on the white rocker next to Topaz.
“I should be asking you that.”
Casey sighed, understanding her meaning. “I’ve been told not to talk to you about the story, Paz.”
“And you’re planning to accept that?” she blurted, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“Baby, what do you expect me to do? The guy’s my boss and your—”
“Nothing. I won’t be seeing him again, so ...”
Casey was obviously thrown by the news. He could tell the subject was a sore spot with Topaz and decided not to push. “So what are you doin’ tonight?”
Topaz shrugged beneath her oversized fuzzy lemon sweater. “I’m doing it.”
“How ’bout we get on that interview this evening?”
“Sounds good.”
“Cheer up, huh?” Casey urged, concerned by the faraway look in her eyes. He pressed a kiss to the part running down the middle of her hair, then started to leave the porch. He changed his mind to leave, though, and turned back toward her. “Topaz, have you talked to anyone about Weston? The other business owners?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t been in touch with them since you told me about it,” she said, just as something occurred to her. “But I’ll be seeing them soon and we’ll definitely get into it.”
“Be careful, all right?”
“Bye, Casey ...” she sang, her pensive stare twinkling as she imagined the surprise on her associates’ faces when she would arrive at their “secret” meeting.
ELEVEN
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.”
“Don’t embarrass me, Doc. You don’t know what it took for me to call you.”
“Well, I’m pleased that you did,” Dr. Beck Gillam admitted. “A sit-down appointment is exactly what you need. So ... what changed your mind?”
“I broke things off with Topaz.”
Beck was silent for a while as he digested the information. “Well, Alex, you do need to get well for yourself. First and foremost. Otherwise, no amount of talk or medication will help.”
