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He swings the gun toward me. A crack of pain against my temple.
Darkness.
29
EDWIN
The soundof the door closing after Sonia is the axe that rips my heart in half.
I can’t breathe, can’t think. I have to do something.
Stop. Breathe.
I am Edwin Lyons. I have accomplished everything I set out to do, so all I have to do is come up with a plan.
Whatever else, I love her, and I’ll get her back. I have to.
My life will be empty and worthless without her. Dark.
I lock myself up in my office and wrack my head, trying to comprehend how I can fix this.
I am a businessman. Maybe this is why personal matters have always eluded me. I always think I can rationalize my way out of situations, convince people of things that would suit their best interests.
But in matters of emotion, things are not that simple. Not by a long shot. I’ve learned this now. And I hate it.
And that’s where I lie with Sonia. I cannot convince her to be with me, cannot show her a pros and cons list and why it would be a good long-term investment.
That’s not how people and human relationships work.
I learned that the hard way with Nate.
I’ve changed now, though. I am not the hardened man I once was. And I need her in my life.
When my daughter forces me to come out of my office to eat dinner, my children all watch me with sullen expressions.
Jack stares at me. “What’s wrong?”
“He saw Sonia.” Nate shakes his head. “Didn’t go well.”
Abigail sighs and places her hand on mine. “Oh, Daddy. Maybe it’s for the best.”
Over the past couple of weeks, my children have become privy to the connection I have with Nate’s ex-girlfriend.
Two weeks doesn’t make up for a lifetime of bonding, but Nate’s injury has brought us close together.
Nate was the one to encourage me to go after Sonia if I really loved her, which was a shock, of course. Something about his injury has given him mental clarity, though.
I can’t say I don’t relate.
Jack shrugs. “She’s too young for you anyway.”
Nate stares at his brother after looking at me. “I think they’d be good together. Dad’s got it more together than I do. And that’s what Sonia needs.”
I push my fork around my plate, unable to even consider eating. “Can we not talk about it?”
My kids all exchange looks.
Jack clears his throat, looks at me from across the table with a serious expression. “I think we’ve spent too much of our lives not talking about things, Dad.”
