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“Ryker?”
But there’s no answer.
I head for the kitchen to get a glass of water when I see a note on the island that wasn’t there this morning, placed under the vase of roses.
I see my name in the top corner.
Yep, he must know his phone isn’t working and left me a note.
Relief hits me.
For some reason I was starting to get a little concerned since he hadn’t tried to call or text all day, which is unusual for him. But I guess that’s what childhood trauma does to you. The first lack of communication leads to you believing that they left you.
I take a cleansing inhale and then pick up the note.
Juliet-
I don’t know where to begin this letter, so I’ll just start by saying that I’m sorry. The last thing I ever planned to do was hurt you.
My stomach turns instantly, and the taste of bile rises to my throat. I grab the letter and instinctively head straight for the bedroom.
I storm through the door, pushing it hard enough that it bounces off the back of the wall and power walk to the closet.
My heart beats wildly against my rib cage. The same rib cage that’s designed to protect my heart from the outside world. But no caged heart is safe from what I know I’m about to find.
I crash through the walk-in closet and the second I look to his side where all of his clothes should be hanging, I start to hyperventilate—a wail cracking from my throat—a sound that I don’t even recognize. Streams of tears start flooding down my face. I couldn’t hold these ones back even if I tried.
I fell for it.
I fell for his promises.
I let my guard down when my mother told me not to and my instinct told me to run.
My tear-filled, blurry eyes fall back to the letter, a slightly more crinkled version of the one I took off the island a moment ago, now shaking like a leaf in my hand. Teardrops begin to smear some of the ink, but not enough to shelter me from his words.
The Vancouver Vikings have offered me a head coaching position and I’ve accepted it. The Hawkeyes are going to let me out of my contract, and this is my chance to make up for missing time with my dad. I’m going to finish his legacy and bring the Vikings home a Stanley Cup.
I wish the best for you, but I know you’ll do just fine without me. I had the lease on the penthouse changed into your name and James Potter and Associates will ensure that the lease and all the upkeep on the place will be paid every month. You can live here for as long as you want, and I hope that you do. I’ll list his phone number below. Call him for anything you need… anything, Juliet.
I never meant to leave like this, like your dad. This is why I want to contribute financially to make sure that you and your family are taken care of.
I know it doesn’t matter now, and this won’t make much sense to you, considering what I’m doing but if I could have done things differently, I wouldn’t have asked you to marry me for a green card. I would have asked you for a first date that night out on the parking lot. I would have worked to earn my chance to propose to you, instead of buying it.
I’m sorry I put you through a fake marriage.
I’m sorry for everything.
He left… he actually left.
I crumble to the ground and stare at the empty white built-in cabinets where his things used to be.
There’s only one person to call. The one person who will understand.
“Mom…” I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking when she answers. “He’s gone.”
“Are you sure? I just saw him at the center. I got a call that he’s paying for my OTA program. That doesn’t make sense.”
The shock in her voice gets to me. For all the warnings she told me in the beginning of all this… she can’t believe he left either.
