Everything to Lose by Katie Reus Page A

his embrace and out of arm’s reach. “This isn’t going to work. When it counted, really counted , you pushed me away and took over. What happened to our deal? What happened to us being equals and helping each other?”
    His only response was an audible swallow so she continued, “I’m going upstairs to pack my stuff. I just want you to take me back to Orlando so we can sign the divorce papers.”
    A dark silence filled the air for a long moment. “Fine. Whatever you want.” With that, he walked from the room.
    She should have felt elated and overjoyed he didn’t fight her. Instead, she just felt like crying. Her legs filled with lead as she walked up the stairs and the expression on Sean’s face when she met him in their room nearly killed her.
    For the first time in her life, she understood the expression “hollow victory”.
     

 

     
     

Chapter Eight
     
     
     
    Caitlyn picked up the phone to her room. “Yes?”
    “Cab waiting downstairs ma’am.”
    “I’ll be right down.” She disconnected and scanned the room one last time even though she was certain she hadn’t forgotten anything. For the past two days she’d been holed up in her room and hadn’t so much as gotten out of bed.
    Not because she was scared though. Lewis was in jail and Coleman was now dead and no longer even a remote threat to them. The man Coleman decided to turn on had a very long arm and apparently didn’t take kindly to Coleman’s accusations. He’d only lasted a few days in prison.
    She was pathetic. She’d gotten exactly what she came for but now she had no clue what she was doing with her life. When an old friend had called from DC and asked if she wanted to visit, she’d jumped at the chance to leave Orlando. Technically she had a place to live but seeing Sean wasn’t in the cards right now. He hadn’t said a word on the way back into town. If she thought leaving the first time hurt, this time was ripping her heart into shreds so tiny she doubted she would ever put it back together.
    There was such a sense of finality in leaving this time. She shook her head and sighed. Purse and key in hand, she grabbed her rolling suitcase and headed downstairs.
    After she signed at the front desk for her brief stay—at a downtown bed and breakfast, not the Embassy Suites thank you very much—she walked outside and fought tears as the cab driver put her bags into the trunk.
    As he pulled away, she stared out the window and let a few tears fall. If she was doing the right thing, then why did she feel so awful? She had a decision to make and no one could make it for her. Sean was overbearing and pushy and he wasn’t going to change.
    Caitlyn laid her head back against the vinyl seat and closed her eyes. They’d certainly been through a lot the past couple of days. Her emotions had been on a roller-coaster for the past year and after her trip home, she felt even worse. The cab driver took a sharp turn and her eyes flew open. He cut down a side street into a section of historic downtown. The jostling over the brick streets aggravated her upset stomach and growing headache. “What are you doing?”
    “Cutting through. I’m taking 417 because it’s quicker.” His words were clipped and annoyed that she’d even asked.
    It wasn’t quicker but she didn’t argue. She didn’t have the energy. As they passed Greenwood Cemetery her heart jumped. An unexpected vision played in her head. Sean holding her head as she emptied the contents of her stomach when she learned her grandmother died. Then of Sean holding her hand at the funeral after he’d taken care of every last detail because she’d been unable.
    They’d only been dating then and he’d looked after her. She hadn’t asked him to, he’d just stepped in and taken over. Of course she hadn’t minded then. Then she’d taken his take-charge attitude for granted. Appreciated it even. Why had things changed?
    She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and fought a building