AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wanted to shout, well, join the club, buddy! Instead, that tiny strand of hope holding my heart together burst, allowing my heart to shatter. The Loveless curse had struck again. I had to get out of there. This was no longer my home. As quick as I could, I ran to my Jeep and opened the door, but it wasn’t quick enough.
“Emma, did you really think Sawyer would be yours?” Josephine slinked toward me in her ridiculous coral jumpsuit. Where had she been hiding this entire time?
I ignored her and jumped in my Jeep.
She wasn’t done with me. “I hope you’ve finally learned who the Lady of Carrington is now. You’re not even a Carrington. Have you ever wondered why your father kept that name from you?”
I grabbed my gut and faced the vile witch. “He didn’t keep it from me.”
“Didn’t he?”
I shook my head, though I was now unsure. How could I be sure of anything? I had just lost almost everyone I loved.
“Oh, you are delusional, aren’t you? Have a good night. I know I will.” She waved and slithered away toward the barn.
I threw my Jeep in reverse and gunned it, kicking up rocks. I debated on whether I should do a little four-wheeling and run over the snake slinking through the wild grass headed for her son. She wasn’t worth jail time, I decided. I tore out of there like I was running from the law. If only. It would have been better than leaving behind those I loved who obviously didn’t feel the same way. Racking sobs came while I raced home. It was the same pain I felt when I was told my mother had died. An empty ache consumed me.
When I got home, the torture continued. Reminders of Sawyer were everywhere, from the used towels in my bathroom to the stupid note he left on my pillow.
I can’t wait until tonight.
I crumpled the note and threw it across the room. Then I ripped off all my bedding. His clean scent filled my senses. I was washing him away literally and figuratively. The Band-Aid had come off. It hurt worse than I could have ever imagined. But how would I have known? I’d never been in love before. I was going on record as saying it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
I shoved all my bedding in the washer and put it on hot with lots of detergent. If there was even a hint of his scent on them, I was burning them. I might anyway for the satisfaction.
Next on my reign of terror was my guest bedroom. Anger was better than pain. But, boy, did the pain ever want to overtake me. I was refusing it. I’d known too much of it this past year. Now the person who had helped ease it the most inflicted the worst kind on me. If he’d just rejected me, that would have been one thing, but he hadn’t believed in me. He didn’t trust me. And he was related to the vilest person I knew.
With my tough-guy attitude, I threw open my guest bedroom door. It was a huge mistake. The first thing that caught my eye was the picture he had placed on the nightstand as if he lived there. It was the same picture of us that I kept on my desk. The one of us in the hot air balloon. I had given him a copy of the photo but didn’t know he had it framed. I went from tough to goo in seconds. I crumpled, landing on the lumpy twin-size bed that smelled too much like him. Exhaustion overcame me. I curled up in what I had left of him and cried myself to sleep.
I woke up sore and with a crick in my neck. Maybe I should replace that bed.
In the dawn’s early light that filtered through the window blinds to the small room, I was able to come to my senses. I wasn’t going to wallow for what I never had. I had enough to mourn with my dad, sisters, and forever my mother. Sickening thoughts of my dad never wanting me to have his name filled me. Was that true? Lately it felt as if it could be. Maybe that’s why he’d been so distant since Mom had died. Was it all an act for my mother? More sobbing ensued.
With my last shudder, I stretched and berated myself for not showering last night. I smelled foul. Before I could shower, I had one more thing left to do. I shoved all of Sawyer’s belongings in his duffle bag, not stopping to think or reminisce. I didn’t even look at the photo of us before I placed it on top and zipped up his bag. I tossed his bag on my porch and texted him.
