Page 86 of Always Been You
My breath hitches. The fork in my hand trembles. I don’t need to ask who it is. It’s Eddie.
Mom nods, dismissing the guard, then turns to me.
“He’s been showing up every day,” she says, her voice even, unreadable. “Sometimes parking is on the far left side of the street. The first night you came, he knocked, but we turned him away.”
I swallow, my pulse hammering. Every day?
“But knowing he’s your husband..." Dad continues, pausing for dramatic effect.
I shoot him a look. This man is actually enjoying this.
“And my son-in-law, we have no choice but to welcome him.”
“Yeah, dinners are for family,” Mom adds.
The table erupts into laughter and somehow that calms me.
I exhale, my grip on the fork loosening. The fight inside me begins to settle, piece by piece, because the truth is—I think I can forgive him.
A life without him now seems impossible. I can’t see myself without him. And the fact that he still showed up, even when I had no idea, even when he knew he’d be turned away—that means something.
I love him and he loves me. He’s said it a thousand times, and even though he went about things the wrong way, I believe him.
I wouldn’t marry anyone else because he is my husband and at the end of the day, love isn’t about perfection. It’s about choosing someone despite their flaws. And I still choose him. Yes, he broke my trust, but trust can be rebuilt. And if he’s willing to fight for us, then maybe... maybe I should, too.
I stand and turn toward the door, ignoring the laughter and giggles behind me. My focus is set, my steps unrelenting as I walk straight for the gate. I don’t know what I’m going to say when I see him, but I know I need to see him. And that’s enough for now.
Chapter Thirty -Two
Eddie
I’m standing on eggshells, trying to figure out how to get Lawliss to see me and how I’ll plead my case thus if she will let me.
Listening to Josh reel me in every day about how miserable I’ve been is exhausting. But I know he’s right. And he’s enjoying reminding me of it. He told me what I did was stupid, and since the moment Lawliss walked out of my life, he hasn’t let me forget it.
But I know that now too.
And I will do anything to win her back, even if it means agreeing to a divorce and starting over with her. I will do that if that’s what she wants.
I sense her before I see her. My head snaps up, and there she is: running toward me and for a moment, hope flares in my chest. But then I see it. Something’s off.
She looks unwell. Too pale. Too thin.
She starts slowing down, her steps uneven, her body swaying. My stomach twists as I realize—she’s about to fall.
I sprint toward her.
She barely makes it another step before her body gives out, but I reach her in time, catching her before she hits the ground. She collapses into my arms, limp.
My heart pounds. “Lynx.” I tap her cheek, my voice shaking. “Baby, wake up.”
Nothing.
Panic grips me like a vice. “Lynx, please.”
I scoop her up, already heading for my car.
“What happened?” Aria’s voice cuts in, sharp with accusation.
