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Emma buried her face in Luke’s chest, causing a flood of mixed emotions to run through her body. The familiar smell of his laundry detergent was comforting and reminded her of their wonderful memories. She felt at home in his arms as she dreamt for a moment that they had never broken up and that he was here to rescue her, and make all of her troubles go away. But really, he wasn’t here to rescue her, and they had broken up. The realization pierced her heart, and a profound ache settled in her soul, mourning for all that had been lost between them.
“Emma, don’t cry,” he said, reaching down and grabbing her hand. “Can you tell me what’s wrong? I want to help, if I can.”
As she looked up at him through tear-filled eyes, she realized if she stayed in his arms for one second longer, she might not have the strength to walk away again. His unwavering kindness caused a wave of guilt to linger over her, considering how coldly she had ended things between them. But here he was, showing her the kind of grace all humans need from time to time. Emma knew she should pull herself away and find a phone somewhere, but she just couldn’t.
“It’s my father,” she said, tears blurring her vision. “I just ran into him in the supermarket.”
“Your father?” Luke tilted his head to the side. “But I thought you hadn’t seen him since you were a kid.”
Emma nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I haven’t. He was a pretty bad drunk back then and left me to live with my grandparents. There’s just a lot of anger I have toward him, and for him to come up to me out of nowhere was just...just...”
“Jarring,” Luke finished her sentence as he wrapped his arms around her.
She felt his heart beating against the side of her head. “Exactly. And now he’s back in town, and he’s back at his old job on the police force, and he wants to make amends. But I don’t think I can. Not yet.”
Luke rubbed her back up and down, soothing her. “You don’t have to make amends if you don’t want to, Emma. And if you’re not ready, then that’s fine too. You can take as long as you need.”
Emma stepped back and looked up at him. “He asked me to get coffee so we could talk. Do you think I was too harsh by saying no?”
Luke shook his head. “Definitely not. And I’m not saying he deserves it, but it might help for the sake of your own healing to let him explain himself.
She paused and considered his advice. It reminded her of a recent discussion with the other ladies in the online book club she had joined after their breakup. In this month’s reading of Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown, a particular excerpt had stood out to her so much that she underlined it twice. “People are hard to hate up close. Move in.”
Easier said than done, Brené, she thought. Perhaps today really was a gift in disguise from the universe attempting to heal her past wounds. Maybe she should give him a chance to explain everything. And if it didn’t help, then at least would know she had tried.
“I think you’re right. Thank you.”
Luke reached up and wiped her tears away with his thumb. As she looked up at him smiling down on her, she felt her knees go weak. Emma still loved him. There was no denying it. But it didn’t matter anymore. It was over between them and there was no going back.
“I think I may have ruined your shirt.”
Luke looked down at his chest and laughed. There was a big wet spot in the middle of his white t-shirt, smudged with tears and makeup.
“Don’t worry. I have others.”
“I can buy you a new one,” Emma said, realizing how strange the offer was afterward. She cringed on the inside wanting to facepalm herself. The man drove a Range Rover and had taken her on a date in a helicopter. He didn’t need her money.
He reached up and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “You definitely don’t need to do that.”
“Alright. If you say so.” Emma’s lips formed a smile, her heart fluttering as she felt herself sway back toward him.
“There’s that gorgeous smile,” Luke whispered. “I was wondering when it was going to show up.”
They gazed into each other’s eyes, filling the moment with tenderness and tension. Luke reached down and grabbed Emma’s hand, squeezing it. Her mind wandered to the time Luke looked into her eyes before kissing her on top of the Bridwell Lighthouse. She could still recall every intricate detail, as vividly as if it happened yesterday. The woody and spicy notes of his cologne, which blended seamlessly with the scent of the crisp night air. The starlit sky, with its twinkling constellations, casting a magical glow around them. In her mind, she had replayed that night countless times, each memory more cherished than the last.
At that moment, Luke’s phone rang, breaking the spell between them. Clearing his throat, Luke pulled the phone out of his pocket and looked down.
“Sorry, it’s Jeremiah. Hold on one second.”
He hit the talk button and took a step back.
“Hey bud. What’s up? Dinner? Uh, yeah, I can pick something up. What are you in the mood for? Subs? You got it. I’m just heading into the store now to grab your calculator, and then I’ll pick up the food. I’ll be home soon. Okay. Bye.”
Luke hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. “Looks like I’m grabbing dinner for the prisoner.”
“How is the suspension going?” Emma asked.
“Good. Great, actually.”
