108 Chapter 108

"Babs? Bitch. I should have known one thing. Whatever these words begin, with a man like you was never going to stand by his word."

Forget chess. She should have played darts. That was a bull's eye, splitting him to his core. Worse, she was somehow so resident in places he couldn't even begin to inhabit. In terms of saving him, she was laying out rugs on floorboards that were bare, she was hammering up picture frames on walls that were blank, she was placing tables on spaces in his heart and sitting down to take tea. She was everywhere except in one place. That same heart.

"Oh, for God's sake, in some ways that's a blessing," he managed just to speak.

"To be shot of you, certainly."

"You're not the first to think that. In fact, welcome to the back of a great, long queue." He jerked his head back. "Now, can I have my coat back, please?"

"With pleasure."