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ONE
~ Elina ~
To The Love Bard,
I always hoped it would be him.
My muscles screamed as I picked up yet another box of my belongings from the back of the van and lugged it across the front lawn. When I first started the process, I had been careful to keep to the path and not ruin the flowerbeds. But by the time I had reached my fifth box, I had given up altogether and trampled on everything in sight just to get the process over with as quickly as possible.
As I moved the boxes, I couldn’t help but think back to the house I had shared previously. With him. The other him. The him that never should have happened. Just the thought of Seth made my blood boil. Just when I didn’t think I could get any hotter, my face started to burn. On the verge of going into a full meltdown was when he appeared.
“Elina?”
Red-faced, I turned to look at the man I had been looking forward to seeing ever since I moved back to Cherrywood Falls. My best friend.
“Zane!” I yelled happily, jumping at him.
His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me in as I locked onto his neck. We stood in our embrace for a few seconds before pulling apart. I noticed his hand never left my side throughout our conversation.
“I would have been here sooner, but you never answered my email. You should have called. I could have helped you with some of these boxes.”
Using the back of my hand, I wiped the sweat away from my brow and grinned, “I’m perfectly capable of lugging my own boxes about, thank you very much. I didn’t reply to your texts because it’s about time I get used to doing things by myself.”
His hand moved up to my shoulder. I felt comfort in his touch. Something I had needed the last few months as my marriage was falling to pieces. I was glad to have it at that moment, at least.
“You may have cut one man out of your life, but you’ll always have me. What are friends for? Speaking of which, I spotted a few more boxes in the back of the van. Let me carry them in and why don’t you go inside and cool off? Your impersonation of a tomato is spot on.”
I playfully swatted his arm before gratefully accepting his help. As I went inside the house, my mind was awash with memories from my childhood. I never thought I would be moving back into my family home. Without my parents there, it was big and empty, devoid of life. They had long since moved to their retirement home in another state, and the place was in dire need of a dusting.
But it was mine—all mine.
Yet again, my mood changed like a pendulum. One moment I was down in the dumps, thinking about the disastrous end to my marriage, and the next, I’m elated with the feeling of freedom. The knowledge that I’m no longer tied down by that toxic relationship or that deceitful man. I was finally able to be me again and enjoy my life. And the people in it.
“Do you need help unpacking any of these bad boys?” Zane asked as he carried the last box into the house.
I couldn’t help but take a moment to admire him standing there, the muscles in his arms strained beneath his t-shirt. It was funny to think he was one of the nerdy kids in high school. If the girls could see him now, they’d be all over him. Especially now that he’s single. His hair was peppered with gray streaks, but they just seemed to add to his aesthetic. Even the barely visible stubble that lined his jawline just whispered to be touched. His half Asian, half white mix gave him a sexy exotic look. He may have been on his way to fifty, but he was still as youthful as his younger years and even better looking. I was glad to have him in my life.
“Well, if you want a drink, then we had better crack open the one with the kitchen stuff. I’ll just unload the essentials for tonight, and then I’ll unload the rest tomorrow.”
As he ripped the tape from the top, he spoke, “I’m surprised you didn’t take the house from Seth. Didn’t you own half?”
According to Seth, he owned me. But I wasn’t about to tell Zane that. I wasn’t ready to unleash the intricate details of my relationship just yet. We may have kept in touch, but there were some things I always thought should be a secret if you wanted a successful marriage. Guess I was wrong.
“It was painful for me to be there, and I figured I had the house here in Cherrywood Falls waiting for me, so why push it? He’s giving me half the cost of the house back in installments. The sooner this divorce is finalized, the better.”
Zane produced two glasses from their newspaper wrappings before going to the fridge to top them up. Despite my vow to be an independent woman, I was glad that he was here for me. He always was.
He handed me the glass of water, “I’m proud of you for standing up to him. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now with everything going on. You know you’re always welcome at my place if you need some company. Or I can stay here?”
I shook my head, “I’ve had months to come to terms with this. It’ll be good to get my first night in this house alone out the way. Although, I would love to spend some more time with you and catch up. It’s been too long since we saw each other face-to-face.”
Zane looked up in thought, “Almost a year. When you invited me for the BBQ at yours and Seth got a little too drunk. He accused me of sleeping with you and then threw a punch. It’s a good thing I had to drive home that night and was completely sober. I don’t know if I would have sidestepped it in time if I had a few drinks in me. Rather ironic now that I look back.”
My laugh was bitter, “That he was the one to cheat? I just feel like an idiot for not to have seen it sooner.”
He frowned, walking over to me and placing a comforting arm on my shoulder. Using his thumb, he gently tilted my face up to look at him.
“Don’t you ever call yourself an idiot. You’re the smartest woman I know and only deserve the best in life. He’s the absolute moron for giving that up. It’s in no way your fault that he couldn’t keep it in his pants.”
