Page 6 of Together Is Where We Belong

“Leo, wait. You need to…” I said as I grabbed his arm to stop him without thinking. A look of pure disgust crossed his features as he looked down at where my hand touched his arm and back up at me.

“I don’t need to do anything except be on my way,” he said with disdain as he pulled his arm from my grasp and stomped to his truck. The slamming of his door caused me to jump.

He pulled off without a backward glance; dirt flew around the truck and me as I watched him drive away.

At this rate, I’d never get to be the one to tell him about the secret that shared his eyes and temperament to boot. Our son knew all about his father, now I just needed to find a way to tell Leo, so he knew all about Luke.

“There was so much left to say, Leo,” I muttered to myself as I walked around the car and finally let the tears fall.

two

Leo

Icouldn’t believe that I just ran into Carolina. My head reeled at the sight of seeing her after eight long years. My heart hurt at the sight of the woman who’d broke mine. I hated that I still had so much emotion when it came to her.

What hurt the most by her leaving was how I saw her everywhere. Everything I looked at reminded me of her and the love we'd shared. I was consistently haunted by the memory of what was and what could’ve been while she was off finding herself and traveling the world.

I hated how beautiful she still was.

I hated how my heart constricted at the sound of her voice.

I hated how I still had such a visceral reaction to the woman who'd broke me and changed me in ways I never thought possible.

I just hated her so much to this day.

And I hated that I hated her. I despised the person I’d become and could barely look at myself in the mirror most days. To everyone around me, I was this playboy who took nothing serious, but that was what I wanted everyone to think. I was only my true self in the confines of my bedroom alone. There was the only place I could play the guitar and envision the man I wanted to be.

I pulled into the drive and entered the code, replaying our interaction as I waited for the gate to open.

I still couldn’t believe she was back in Haven Valley. My mind couldn’t accept that she was here and so close I could touch her. She said she had something to tell me, but I didn’t want to hear her lies. I didn’t want to hear anything she had to say ever again. It was best if she left me alone and steered clear of me. Hopefully, our paths wouldn't cross again. I could live with that.

Once the gate fully opened, I drove my truck through and down the dirt driveway to my parents’ home. I’d go in search of my brothers and find out their plans for this Saturday night. Hopefully one of them would be down to going out with me tonight so I could drown in my sorrows.

I walked into my parents’ home and ran into my mother, Lillian, as she rustled up supper.

“Hey, Mama. Have you seen Brooks or Holden?” I asked as I walked up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

She smiled up at me as she gave me a questioning look, and I swear she could see right through me. Like she knew the secret I now held about running into my ex and she was about to question me all about it.

Something ran through my head as I thought back on what Carolina said. She mentioned letters. I’d only ever received one, and I didn’t even bother to read it. But she said letters as in more than one.

“They are in the den with your father. You look like you’ve got somethin’ stewin’ in that brain of yours.” She laughed as she kneaded the dough on the counter.

How did she always manage to know?

“I ran into Carolina today,” I confessed as I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms.

“You did? How’d that go?” she asked, a shocked expression crossed her face, as she stopped what she was doing and turned to give me her full attention.

“She had a flat tire right down the road from the ranch. I helped her change it,” I told her as I left off the latter part of our interaction.

“How’d it feel seein’ her again?” she questioned, her voice full of concern.

“I still hate her, Mama. I can’t help it,” I confessed.

“You don’t hate her. You just think you do, son.”

She didn’t understand. I truly hated her.