Page 118 of Promised Love
“You’re more than that, Spencer. You’re a part of this family.” Connor’s hand rests on my shoulder, and I slump back in my chair. “Keith told me about the divorce papers.”
“Of course he did, because we don’t know the word boundaries,” I snap back, still looking at my screen.
He chuckles. “You know we don’t.”
I bite back my smile, not wanting him to see it. The fact is, even if any one of us tried to hide something, it wouldn’t work. We’re all too good at reading each other’s subtle gestures.
“Are you sure?” Before I can reply, he adds, “Such happiness doesn’t come easily to men like us, Lukas. A girl who understands what you’ve gone through, who knows the risks you take every day at your job, is rare. Sometimes we dwell too much on how and why something has happened and fail to see the way it’s changed our lives.” Connor pats my arm. “If you’re having trouble, just go to Keith’s home.”
“Did someone say my name?” Keith enters the room.
“Pretend like you weren’t just standing outside eavesdropping on us,” I say, knowing my words aren’t completely wrong.
“I don’t need to eavesdrop.” He flops down onto a chair and looks at me. “The wedding party has left Cherrywood. Andy Bruno was pleased and sends his regards.”
I nod, my heart thundering in anticipation, but he doesn’t say anything about Autumn. We talk for a few more minutes about the wedding and what we could have done differently and what we did well.
Finally, Connor slips out of my room, and a few minutes later, Keith stands up to leave. “Do you want to join us for dinner? I’m picking up something from Tiki’s.”
I shake my head. It’s not rare for Keith to invite me, but tonight, he isn’t doing this to enjoy my company but to be there for me.
“I’m okay, Keith.”
He nods when I give him a pointed stare, and moments later, drops an envelope on my desk. “Autumn asked me to give this to you.”
He has a disapproving look on his face, as we both know what’s in there.
She signed them.
I don’t touch the papers until Keith strides out of the room. Once alone, I look at the envelope.
I love you. I’ll fight for our love.
That’s what she’d said, but after knowing my past, she couldn’t love me.
Why the fuck does it hurt so much when I knew this was something that was supposed to happen?
My hands shake as I grab the envelope and let its contents drop onto the desk. But instead of the stapled bundle, three folded pages fall down.
What the hell is this?
I grab the one closest to me and start reading.
Dear Lukas,
This is the third letter, in case you’re not reading them chronologically. But if you’ve read the first one, I apologize. I was angry. I think I still am.
You…just walked away.
You’re the last person in my life I ever thought would leave me without giving a reason.
It hurts, especially not knowing what I did wrong. We weren’t those people who sulked in silence. We talked even when other things in life weren’t going as we’d hoped. We talked when we were sick, or sad, or happy. We talked even when we were busy or unavailable. We talked because we needed no one else. We were enough.
And now when I need you the most, you’ve made yourself inaccessible to me. But I’m not letting you go.
I read our emails starting from the first one. It was like looking at old photographs. As I read the words I’d typed years ago on the screen, I could remember all the events happening around me. All the inn’s weddings I’d described to you, all the gifts I’d received on my birthdays, my bad grades, first sip of wine, first time sneaking out…
It was all there.
