I pull away and take a deep breath. “Goodbye, Chance.”
His eyes shutter and his gaze drops. I resist the urge to cup his cheek and kiss him, ease his hurt, but that’ll only worsen our pain. And confuse his family.
I wipe my eyes and turn to face them. The shock on their faces nearly makes me start bawling. I bite the inside of my cheek. “Goodbye, everyone.”
Then my eyes meet Baxter’s. He’s not shocked, just very angry.
Chin trembling, I turn away and race out of the Eastons’ home.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chance
I stare out the window. It’s a muggy day. The sky is heavy with gray clouds and the sun is hidden. Raindrops beat against the glass but no actual rain.
A heavy sigh fills my chest and I let it out. My shoulders sink and the ball of dread in my stomach falls lower.
It’s over. I should return to my work, but I can’t.
This morning, I gave the go-ahead for Maddie to get paid. I came to terms with the fact that it is over.
Doing that sucked the life out of me. Last night was symbolic, but the raw truth lives in the day. She’s not here. She would return home and I’d continue… existing without her.
I turn away from the window and look around the office. I lock myself away here to do my work—my most prized room. Yet, it looks like an architect’s rendition.
No character, no style—flat and bleak, like me.
Maddie was my spark. My light. A flame burning bright in my dark world.
And now she’s gone.
I’m nothing.
The lock turns and footsteps follow. Baxter. Coming to throw jabs at my stupidity? Well, he’s welcome.
I have no defenses today.
I drop into my chair, my head bowed. “Make it quick. Take your time. Whatever. I don’t care. Just be done and get out.” I sound disembodied, like I’m not here, but miles into a dark, soulless abyss.
“I know you’re hurting.” The visitor’s chair creaks as it absorbs his weight. “I know it’s hard. I saw you both break down last night. And I can’t pretend to know what truly went on between you both, but I know for sure you cared for each other deeply.”
“I loved her.” The words leave my mouth before I can think them through. And when I do think, I repeat, “I love her. With everything in me.”
I raise my gaze to meet my brother’s eyes.
“And now she’s gone. I have nothing.”
“Don’t say that.” He sits forward and places a hand on my folded ones. “You have us, but best of all, you have the memories between you both.”
I scoff and look toward the plain gray wall. “And that’s supposed to be comforting? It’s nothing. Just three fucking weeks of my entire life! I wanted her—” My throat closes and the words can’t escape. “I wanted her to stay.”
I cannot bear to see what Baxter thinks about that. I go to the window and look out. The drizzle comes more steadily now.
“I… I don’t know what to do.” I pull in a breath that doesn’t fill my lungs. “What the fuck do I do?”
Baxter’s voice is little more than a whisper. “I always thought you’d tell her you loved her sooner, convince her to stay—”
“I’m not good for her, Bax. After Mom died, I gave up on myself. I became someone I don’t recognize. Only when she came did I start to reconsider. See there’s a different way to live.”
