AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What did my future hold now? I would work my butt off to repay the suppliers in New York, obviously. After that, I’d maybe get a plant. Or a cat. No, I didn’t think I could handle a cat. Maybe just a plant.
The kettle’s shrill whistle in the empty silence of the house made me jump. I turned the radio on, to fill the silence and, pouring the tea, took my steaming mug back to the dining table. Nigel had left the offers there, maybe as a teaser. I pushed them away resolutely and reached for the two envelopes I’d picked up from the lawyers on my way over. The big brown one had come via express courier. Turning it over, I saw it had a return address in New York. My heart thudded uncomfortably, and my first instinct was to put it down, push it away, burn it. But I knew that wouldn’t make it go away, so I ripped open the envelope with shaking fingers. I had to read it through twice to fully take in what it said. It was from the senior officer investigating Greg. A forensic analysis of his finances had found a secret account with two hundred thousand dollars in it. It was enough money to settle all of the accumulated debt for the restaurant. I slumped back in the chair. What the fuck? I couldn’t believe it, couldn’t absorb the reality of the words printed in neat type on the cream paper. Just like that, my burden was lifted. Gone. Evaporated. I started shaking so hard, I could barely hold my tea. I took a few deep, calming breaths before reading the letter through again. That’s it. It was done.
I eyed the white envelope on the table, dotted with large splats of rain. Now what could this be? I wasn’t sure I could cope with any more surprises right now. It was hand-written, just my name scrawled across the front in a thin, spidery, old-person scrawl. I turned it over. Nothing on the back. I opened it carefully and, taking out a single sheet of lined paper, unfolded it. My eyes fell to the bottom, looking for the signature.All my love, Aunt Ruby.I gasped and quickly went to the top of the page.
My Dearest Zara,
I write you this letter for a number of reasons. Firstly, I want you to know that I have immensely enjoyed watching you grow from a small child into the beautiful woman you have become. Your regular visits meant the world to me.
Secondly, I have a very specific reason for bequeathing all I have to you directly, and not to your mother, as I know she has expected that I would for all of these years. When I met your Uncle Walter, I loved him at first sight, and he me. We had beautiful plans for the future, and we achieved most of them. The one dream we were never able to fulfil was to have children. We always felt the loss keenly, but nevertheless, we were happy. We made a home together and we filled it with love and laughter. Part of that love involved you, Zara, and so it seemed obvious to me to honor that love by leaving my entire estate to you.
I reached up, wiping a shaking hand across my tear-drenched eyes. Drawing a shuddering breath, I read on:
Thirdly, please do not feel any obligation to keep the house. If it is right for you to sell it and use the funds for something else, that is a decision I trust you to make.
Fourthly, and this is the most important point of all, I know a little about the challenges you have faced, and I want, so very much, for you to know that you are loved and that you are worthy. My dearest wish is that you find a love like I had with my Walter, that sustains you through all the years of your life.
All my love,
Aunt Ruby
I crushed the letter to my chest and, leaning my forehead on the table, sobbed. Deep, cleansing sobs, until I couldn’t cry anymore. When I was all cried out, I straightened up, wiping my face and reading the letter through again, sighing as I got to the end of it, starting to feel better.
The soft strains of Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love” floated on the air. I listened to the words, thinking about Matt. How he did make me feel his love, how of course he would never do me wrong. How he could make me happy, make all my dreams come true.
He had shown me in countless ways that there was nothing he wouldn’t do for me, that he would do exactly what the song said—go to the ends of the Earth for me—and what had I done? I’d thrown his love back in his face because I was too scared, too cowardly to admit the depth of my love for him. “Fuck, I’m such an idiot.” Without hesitation, I jumped to my feet, grabbed my bag and keys, and dashed out the door.
It took every ounce of will power I had not to break the speed limit as I drove to Matt’s. My heart hammered against my ribs when I saw his truck parked in the drive. I pulled in behind it and leapt out of the car, running across the drive and charging up the steps, almost overwhelmed by the sense of urgency to see him immediately, to tell him how I felt. I lifted my hand to knock on the door, startled when it swung open before I could. Lucy stood there, obviously just as surprised to see me as I was to see her. Lucy pulled herself together first, running an appraising look over me, taking in the dripping hair, the tear-stained face, the blazing emotion in my eyes. “He’s out back.” She stood aside, swinging the door open for me.
I stepped inside. “Thanks.”
“He’s pretty upset, to be honest.”
“Is...is he?”
“You hurt him pretty bad.” There was no accusation, just a statement of fact.
“I know.”
“Looks like you’re here to fix things?”
“Yes. I hope I can.”
“Me too. Good luck.” I went to move past her, heading toward the sliding door in the living room, but Lucy grabbed my hand. “He’s full of fight right now. Don’t let him push you away.” With a squeeze of her fingers around mine, she was gone.
I slid open the door, scanning the back yard for Matt. He was at the wood pile, his back to the house. I could almost feel the anger emanating from him as he swung the axe high overhead and then brought it down hard. Picked up another log. Up went the axe, then down with a loud thud. A wave of apprehension rippled through me. This was going to be much harder than I thought. He heard my footsteps but didn’t turn around. “For fuck’s sake, Lucy, leave me alone. I’m done talking about it.”
“Matthew.”
The axe paused in mid-swing, but he didn’t turn around.
“Matthew, please.”
“Please what?” His tone was flat and that scared me more than outright anger would have.Thwack.The axe fell again.
Fear churned in my gut as I moved around him and into his line of sight. But he kept his head down, swinging the axe with fearful force. His shirt, soaking wet from the rain, clung to every line of his body, his biceps bulging. “Please, look at me.” He flicked a glance at me and I gasped, taking a step back. His green eyes blazed at me before dropping back to the log. I felt flayed where I stood. I took a deep breath. “I just wanted to say…to let you know…I made a mistake.”
“Did you now?” The flat tone was terrifyingly at odds with the fire in his eyes.
