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Love you too, kiddo.
“Why don’t you try to sleep for a little bit longer? You have a long day today.” Lana doesn’t say anything else as she walks away, leaving me to be the one to shut the door. The heaviness pressing against my shoulders only worsens with each step I take toward the front door.
“Key.” Lana holds out her hand. There is a slight tremble to her fingers that fucks me up inside.
“Lana…”
“Don’t.” Her voice wavers as if she is on the verge of crying.
Fuck.
I pull out my keyring and get to work removing the house key from it. Once I place it in Lana’s hand, she tucks it into her back pocket.
“Good luck in rehab.” Her voice sounds distant. Kind of like I’m underwater, fighting the current threatening to take me away from her.
“I’m coming back.”
She reaches around me to unlock the door. “It won’t change anything between us.”
“Then what will?”
“Nothing. You got what you wanted. By the time you’re out of rehab, I’m sure we will have a buyer ready to go.”
“I’m not talking about the fucking house,” I snap.
She blinks.
“I know you think the worst of me. That’s fine. It’s not like I don’t deserve it. But just know that I didn’t choose to go to rehab for the inheritance.”
She scoffs as she crosses her arms. “You sure didn’t choose it for me.”
“No. I chose to get help forme.”
Her mouth drops open.
“If I only wanted the inheritance, then I would have stuck around here for thirty more days and met the requirement asked of me. But instead, I’m going to rehab because I want to love myself as much as you love me.”
She sucks in a breath but stays quiet.
“I want to be the man you and Cami deserve. Whether you believe me or not, that’s the reason why I’m going to rehab. I’ve been through the process enough times to know it’s thirty days of absolute hell, no matter which way someone cuts it. But every day I spend suffering in the prison of my mind is worth a thousand happy ones with you.” I lean forward and press a kiss on the top of her head. She doesn’t melt into me with a sigh like usual, but her shoulders drop a fraction.
I run my knuckles across her cheek. “I’m sorry about the house. I wanted to tell you every single time the subject came up, but I couldn’t risk my brothers losing their inheritances after all the sacrifices they made. They would have never forgiven me, and I couldn’t live with myself knowing I destroyed everyone’s lives around me. I already hate myself enough as it is.”
She looks away and swipes at her cheek with her sleeve.
I clasp on to her chin and force her to look me in the eyes. “I’ll find a way to fix this.”
Her eyes shut. “You can’t.”
“Is that a dare?” I half-heartedly tease.
Her bottom lip wobbles. “No. It’s a reality.”
The invisible talons wrapped around my heart squeeze until I’m left breathless and achy.
I step back before I end up kissing away the sad look on her face. “I’ll return for you. Consider this your one and only warning.”
Her lips press together. I offer her a half-assed smile before I walk to my car without looking back.
