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39
Melinda
I didn’t want to leave. Every fiber of my being was resisting as I turned and walked toward the helicopter. It felt like Pierce, Andrew, and Tristan had a gravitational pull to them, gently tugging me back toward the sun deck.
But I knew I had to do this. I had to get away and clear my head. I had to stay true to who I was.
Even if it meant ripping up the contract and going back to my normal life.
It felt hypocritical to do that when I was boarding a private helicopter while two servants loaded my luggage, but I decided to ignore that for now.
As the rotors spun up, I waited for Pierce and the others to come running after me. That’s what always happened in the movies: they dramatically stopped the heroine from leaving at the last moment. I held my breath, yearning for them to resist my exit.
But nobody came, and the helicopter lifted into the air and turned north toward Providence.
I felt numb as I walked into my apartment. It seemed like a lifetime ago when I was last here. It was clean; Pierce’s people must have been keeping up with it while I was gone. The fridge was empty except for a few bottles of condiments. That felt like a metaphor for my life right now. Hollow except for the superficial things.
It was quiet. I was alone. I hated it.
I got back in my car and drove to my parents’ house. Mom opened the door and did a double take. “Mel? What—”
I threw myself into her arms and started sobbing. She patted me on the back, murmuring reassurances, and let me inside.
For the next half hour, I let it all out. I could barely breathe for all the crying and explaining I was doing. Dad brought me a glass of water, then paced in the other room while trying not to be intrusive.
“You didn’t ruin the wedding,” Mom said. “You just… stood out a little.”
“Don’t try to defend me! I’m terrible!”
“You didn’t have to tell Carly that I called her a bridezilla,” Dad chimed in.
That only made me weep harder. “I know! I’m the worst!”
Dad got on the phone and left the room. Mom continued consoling me.
“I think this is more than just the wedding,” she said after a while. “I think you’re falling in love with Pierce.”
I wiped my eyes and nodded. “I am. And…”
And I miss Tristan and Andrew. Their absence, even for just a few hours, was like a hollow pit in my stomach. I didn’t know how to fill it.
But I couldn’t tell my mom the whole story, so all I said was, “And I wish Pierce had tried to stop me!”
“That would have been the chivalrous thing to do.” She shook her head. “I told you this entire surrogacy thing was a bad idea. Didn’t I?”
“You did.”
“Let this be a lesson that your mother does still know what’s best for you.”
Dad returned to the room. “I just got off the phone with Steve. His lake cabin is open for the next week. He said you’re welcome to stay there as long as you want.”
“Why would I want to stay there?” I asked.
Dad shrugged. “You might want to get away. Clear your head. Also, that will give you some privacy in case Pierce tries to beg you to come back.”
“He let me leave,” I said. “Why would he come begging a few days later?”
He shrugged again. “When it comes to matters of the heart, men are rarely logical. If you want the lake cabin, it’s yours. I think it’s a good idea.”
