Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (199 page)

Slowly,
she
moved
all
her
shirts
and skirts
to
one
side
of
the
closet.
She
stacked
her
clothes
on
the
shelves
to
the
right,
leaving
the
entire
left
for
Luke.
It
looked
both
forlorn
and
expectant.
Her
hand
slid
across
the
empty
rod
where
his
jeans
would
hang.
Maybe
she
should
forget
it—let
it
go.
They
usually
got
along
well
enough
that
this
might
just
be
the
time
to
overlook
an
offense.

“Mibs?”

She
turned,
dreading
to
see
the
look
on
his
face.
Would
he
be
hurt?
Angry?
That
same
cold
arrogance
that
had
infuriated
her
the
previous
day?
“Hmm?”

“Can
we
talk?”

Outside,
children
called dibs on favorite seats
and
van
doors
shut.
“What
is
going
on?”

“Tina
is
taking
them
for
a
drive.
I
thought
maybe
you’d
want
to…
talk.”
He
nodded
at
the
rod
her
hand
still
held.
“Making
room
for
me?”

“Yes.
You
should
bring
things
over
that
you
won’t
be
needing
next
week.
My
closet
won’t
look
lonely
anymore.”

He
stepped
closer.
“You’ve
been
crying.”

As
if
the
magic
words
to
open
a
dam,
new
tears
spilled
onto
her
cheeks.
“Maybe…”

All
the
softening
her
heart
had
done
hardened
again
as
she
passed
him
and
placed
the
sweater
into
the
suitcase.
He
reached
for
her,
but
she
ignored
him.
“I
still
do
not
understand
what
happened,
but
I
apologize
for
hurting
you.”

“How
very
magnanimous
of
you.”

“Mibs,
please.”

“What
do
you
want
from
me?
You
want
to
know
what
is
wrong?
I’ll
tell
you!”

The
cold
self-control
was
back.
“Please
do.”

“That!
That’s
one
thing
that’s
wrong.
I’m
hurt;
I’m
angry.
I
want
to
scream
with
the
frustration
of
it
all,
and
you
stand
there
with
your
self-righteous
smug
expression
and
act
like
you’re
all
holy.
I
can
hear
it
now,
‘Yes,
well,
we
had
a
disagreement,
but
I
died
to
myself
and
forgave
her.
I
let
her
rail
at
me
because
it
is
what
a
godly
man
must
do.’”

“I’m
sorry
if
I
don’t
know
how
to
‘fight’
in
your
expected
manner.
I
don’t
yell.
I
don’t
want
to
become
a
yeller.
I
am
terrified
of
what
I
would
become
if
I
did.
But
yes,
I’d
love
to
die
to
myself
if
it’d
solve
this
problem.
I
just
don’t
know
what
the
problem
is
and
it
doesn’t
work
to
try
to
die
to
myself
if
I
kill
you
in
the
process.
That’s
just
not
very
efficient.
Why don’t
you
explain
to
me
why
we’re
arguing
,
and
we
can
work
from
there.”

“You
made
me
feel
petty
and
stupid.
You
wouldn’t
talk
about
it.
You
treated
me
like
a
child
who
wasn’t
worth
discussing
it
with.”
She
frowned.
“Yeah,
I
know
I’m
supposed
to
say
I
felt
this
and
I
felt
that
and
leave
you
out
of
it,
but
I
can’t
think
that
clearly.”