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Erika couldn’t breathe. Tears clogged her throat and flooded her eyes. She couldn’t see or speak, but she couldn’t let him walk away.
She clambered to her feet when she realized he was leaving. She yanked open the door, not caring that she was still in her white tank top and tiny pink shorts. She needed to reach Jared before he left.
“Wait!” she yelled, running down the hallway toward the elevator. The hotel door slammed shut behind her, locking her out of the room that had become her sanctuary for the past ten days. All she cared about was reaching Jared.
Then she saw him. His back was to her, but she knew he’d heard her. He stopped, still facing away from her, but not walking away. Erika ran over to him and pushed past so she could look up at him.
His eyes were squeezed shut, his
