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“No buts. It hurts. It hurts more than I ever thought possible, but maybe he’s where he needs to be, and I’m where I need to be.”
“I can’t believe that, Aria. I just can’t. You belong together. When he remembers—”
“He might never remember.”
“He will,” she insists. “Please don’t give up on him.”
“I wish I had your confidence,” I tell her sadly. We’ve continued to walk, and I look up, seeing that we’ve ended up outside Savannah’s.
“I thought some girl time might be in order. Quinn is here too.”
I turn and pull her into a hug. “Thank you, Lib.”
I set some ground rules once we’re inside, the main one being that no one mentions Jack. I can see Savannah isn’t happy, but I can’t spend all day talking about what’s happened. I’d go insane. She reluctantly agrees, and I can’t love these women more for taking my mind off everything. I knew when I first got involved with Jack I’d end up losing my heart to him. I also knew if the worst happened and he left, these women would have my back, and I’d been right. They are my family, and I can’t imagine being without them.
Savannah prepares what looks like a mountain of food for lunch, which we eat in the shade of the seating area outside. I use the word “eat” loosely, as I can’t bring myself to eat much, my stomach churning every time Jack invades my thoughts, which is often. I know Sav, Quinn, and Lib notice, but they don’t say anything, and I’m grateful for that. After we’ve eaten, I help Savannah clear the dishes, while Libby and Quinn see to Annie.
“Did you speak to Josh about the whole baby thing?” I ask as I pass her the dirty plates to fill the dishwasher. Looking over her shoulder, she grins at me. “I’ll take that as a yes! What happened?”
“Seems he knows me better than I give him credit for.”
“What do you mean?”
“He brought it up before I did. He said he’s seen me around Annie and wanted to know if there was any chance we could have a child together. He’s been to see a fertility doctor in Austin!”
“Oh, wow, Savannah. What did the doctor say?”
“He’s had a bunch of tests, and while the doctor told him it’s almost impossible for me to get pregnant naturally, he said we could try IVF. Apparently, they can take a single sperm, inject it into one of my harvested eggs and watch it fertilize in a lab. Isn’t that amazing? We have an appointment to discuss it all next week.”
“That’s incredible, Sav! Does anyone else know?”
She shakes her head. “No, not yet. We wanted to speak to the doctor together first. I’ll need to have a few tests, and as long as everything is okay, then we’ll be good to go.”
“Your secret is safe with me. I amsohappy for you.” She smiles at me before pulling me in for a hug. I am happy for her. She’s one of my best friends and I want nothing more than for her to be happy, but I can’t help wondering when it’s going to be my turn. I thought I’d found it with Jack, but it seems fate has other ideas, and now I’m alone again. Being left hurt and alone was my biggest worry when Jack and I first got together, but despite that, the old saying is true: it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. If I had to do it all over again, I would. It doesn’t stop the heart-crushing pain I’m feeling right now though, but I’ll never regret Jack walking into my life.
Jack
Imanage a few broken hours of sleep on the plane journey back to Austin. I’m exhausted, but the adrenaline and the thought of holding Aria in my arms again keeps me going. Jacob has been an absolute star. I’d been expecting tantrums and meltdowns with all the traveling and time differences, but he’s surprised the hell out of me and slept for the majority of both plane journeys. I couldn’t have asked for more.
We jump in a cab at arrivals and I give the ranch address to the driver. Once we’re on the way, he makes small talk, and I’m grateful for the distraction. Despite that, my knee bounces up and down nervously, and I can’t help the apprehension that builds in the pit of my stomach the closer we get to Marble Falls.
After what feels like forever, the driver turns off the main highway and up the driveway that leads to the house. It’s falling dark by the time we arrive, and the lights from the cab illuminate the drive. Climbing out, I pull the luggage from the boot and get Jacob’s car seat out. I pay the driver, then watch as he drives away, gravel and dirt spitting up behind him. Taking a deep breath, I take Jacob’s hand and head up the porch steps. I leave the bags on the drive. They can wait until later, Aria can’t.
I push open the front door and silently walk in. The house is quiet, and I wonder where everyone is. Glancing into the kitchen as we walk past, I see it’s empty, so we continue along the hallway, coming to a stop outside the door to the den. I can hear voices and the hum of the TV playing behind the door. Opening it slowly, we walk in.
“Jack!” my mum exclaims, jumping up from the sofa and rushing toward us. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” She reaches down to Jacob and picks him up, showering kisses on his face like we’ve been gone for months rather than a couple of days. I glance around the room, my dad, Aunt Claire, and Uncle Ryan looking back at me. Aria isn’t here though, and I wonder if she’s in her room. “Well?” she asks when I don’t answer her.
“I came back for Aria.”
She gasps. “You remember?”
“No. It’s a pretty long story, but Zara lied and I know everything. I need to find Aria. Do you know where she is?”
“Libby took her to Savannah’s. I think she’s still there,” Aunt Claire says, a smile on her face. “I’m so glad you came back, Jack.” I smile at her before looking at my mum.
“Can you watch Jacob? I need to go and find her.”
“Yes! Of course. Go!” She takes my arm and propels me out into the hallway. “Good luck!”
