AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That made two of us.
I’d spent a long time hating myself for not being able to save my mother. It never occurred to me that anything could make me despise myself even more.
I was wrong.
Eric wandered sleepily into the kitchen, where I’d been sitting most of the night. The dogs were right beside him.
“Hey, Lincoln.”
I swallowed the thick knot in my throat. He had every reason to hate me, and today, I’d give him one more.
But I’d made a promise to him I would not break.
“Would you still like to have a suit tailored?”
His eyes widened mid-yawn. “Yes! We’re supposed to go on Sunday.” He paused, tilting his head. “It is Sunday!”
“It is. Teague is on his way over.”
I hoped he arrived before Lexie got up. She’d never allow this if my brother wasn’t here as backup. Perhaps I should wake Beau too.
“He’s coming?”
“You’re selecting the style for the wedding. He needs to be fitted too.”
He zeroed in on my tie. “I don’t have a bow tie that color.”
“Select one of yours, and I’ll see if I can find something to match.”
After I’d let him down, he still wanted me to be part of their coordinating wardrobe. From the time we’d met, he’d included me in their lives. Made me feel wanted.
A strange sensation happened in my nose. A tingling that spread to my eyes. They stung a bit.
I blinked rapidly to make it stop and something wet leaked from the corner. I caught it with my finger.
A tear.
I hadn’t cried at Mother’s funeral. Though I had in the privacy of my room afterward. I hadn’t since that day.
And yesterday, when I couldn’t feel a thing was vastly better than the constant pain I’d been in since my last conversation with Lexie.
She was wrong.
I wasn’t a coward.
I had to do what was necessary to protect them. Even if that meant giving them up. Because I’d failed both of them. They had functioned better without me.
I already felt their loss. How would I ever select a tie again without thinking of them?
Eric cocked his head. “Are you okay?”
I cleared my throat. “Something’s in my eye.”
“I always blink a lot when that happens.”
That stinging sensation came back with more force. I’d miss Eric’s innocence and his positive outlook. And I couldn’t bear the thought of a life without Lexie. The way she took everything head-on. The way she felt in my arms. The way she gave me something to look forward to.
I’d crossed into dangerous territory, thinking about a future with them in it. Without meaning to, I’d allowed myself to think beyond the moment. I’d made plans with them I hadn’t shared.
