“Sam’s not here, Tait. She asked me to give you this. I’m filling in for the remainder of your time here.” She hands me an envelope with my name scrawled across it.
I take it from her and squint my eyes, assessing her. “What the hell is this?”
“She told me to give it to you, but she hasn’t told me what’s going on. She just said that she can’t do this anymore and she’s going to fix it. Come on, we can talk in the car. I’m dying to know what’s in that letter.”
My head is spinning as we slide into the car. I rip open the letter and admire her pretty handwriting.
Tait,
I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. Something has come up, and it’s best if I don’t give you the details. I didn’t want to leave you without an assistant so Emily has come back for the last few weeks on set and the charity event. I wanted to tell you so bad this morning, but I couldn’t get the words out. Please don’t be mad at me. I’m doing this because it’s what’s best for us.
You are a good man, Tait. Don’t let anyone ever make you feel different. My time with you was very special, and I’ll always cherish it. Please know that what I do is for you. I wish you the best. Please remember how you were with me, and find someone who makes you want to be that man. Don’t try to contact me. It will only make it harder.
I don’t expect you to hold up your end of the bargain as I am not upholding mine. Consider the contract terminated at this point. You don’t owe me anything. I wish there was a better way to end this, but there’s not. I hope one day you forgive me.
XOXO
Sam
I read the letter again to make sure I understand everything that’s written.She’s gone. She left without saying goodbye, without telling me what I did wrong. I crumble the paper and hang my head.
“Emily, what the fuck happened? Why’d she leave?”My voice comes out small, almost pleading.I can’t lose her. I finally found the girl that makes me a better man.
“I don’t know, Tait. She wouldn’t tell me anything, just that she needed to get out of here.” She places her hand on my shoulder and I brush it off. “Just get through these two weeks of filming, and we can find out together what happened. I promise, if I hear from her, you’ll be the first to know.”
I lean my head back and close my eyes. “I love her, Emily. I can’t lose her. Especially when I don’t even know what I did.”
Chapter 28
Me:It’s done. I’m going home and I broke up with him. I want those pictures deleted ASAP.
Ben:Don’t you want to watch me delete them in person? Meet me this weekend at Synergy and we can talk. See you at 7.
My bags are packed,and my flight is in an hour and a half, and I’ve been lying on my bed for the better part of the morning trying to figure out what I’m going to tell Tait. My heart is breaking just thinking about leaving him. I’m not sure I will get over this one.It’s for the best.I don’t want to be responsible for ruining his career. There are a hundred other girls out there that will be exactly what he needs. He will be fine without me; I just won’t be fine without him.
Emily is meeting me at the airport so we can exchange the room key. I don’t want to risk Tait seeing me.Tait.Every time I think about him, I want to cry all over again. I pull a tissue from my pocket and dab the moisture under my eyes. I’m sitting at a small table in the food court waiting for her to arrive.
“Sam!” Emily calls out to me, waving.
I give her a halfhearted wave back. “Hey, Em. Thanks so much for this. I owe you everything.”
Her face softens as she looks at me. “Babe, I can see this is killing you. What’s going on? Are you pregnant?”
I shake my head and swallow the lump in my throat. “No. I can’t explain it right now. I promise I’ll tell you soon though. I need to take care of something at home, and once it’s all set, I’ll let you know.”
My phone buzzes, and the caller ID flashes with Tait’s name. I ignore the call and pocket my phone again. If I hear his beautiful Irish lilt, I know I’m going to burst into tears. It’s probably best if I turn off my phone so I’m not tempted.
“All right, you need to get going. He’s due on set in an hour. I called Rory and told him you were coming back and that a family emergency is forcing me home. I told him not to tell Tait yet, so hopefully, he won’t. I figure, since it’s you coming back, both will be okay with the change.”
We both stand and she gives me a big hug. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I can see you love him very much and that this choice is a difficult one for you. You know I’ve got your back, and I will help any way I can, right?”
“I know. Thanks, babe.”
She walks toward the exit of the airport, and I head down to my gate to wait. A text comes in from Tait, and I want to cry.
Tait:I’m sorry for whatever it is I’ve done. Please, can we talk? I can’t stand knowing you won’t talk to me.
I can’t respond to him. So, I do the one thing to stop me. I add his number to my blocked numbers list.
