Page 77 of Claiming What's Mine

Which one? I thought she only had one?

“Um, excuse me? I thought—”

Pulling the door open wider, she grinned. “I know who you're here for, I was just messing with you.” Holding out her hand, she said, “It's nice to officially meet you after all these years of hearing about you. I mean we talked at the funeral, but that wasn't really like meeting.”

Beth looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Her hair was all disheveled, sticking up in places and knotted. Wearing leggings decorated with cats in sunglasses, and an over sized green t-shirt, tied into a knot in the front, Beth waited for me to take her hand.

I stood in this weird limbo, knowing the polite thing to do, but stuck in this weird space where memories began to flood my mind.

Playing hide and seek in their cornfield, being snuck into the house after his father left, and making out in his room. Helping him with chores so we had more time together, pebbles on windows, and notes in secret locations.

All the things I loved and missed, all the things I never really forgot, but chose to ignore. All the things that made us—us.

Beth cleared her throat and smiled, glancing down at her hand, and giving it a little shake to show me it was still there.

“I'm so sorry to wake you.” Shaking her hand, I smiled apologetically. “We met a couple of times when you were little, but you probably don't remember it.”

The last time I had seen Beth before the funeral she was around eight. I would pass her in town on occasion over the years, but that was all, I never spoke to her or tried to reach out to her. I wasn't sure if she would remember me or not, and honestly, she was just another piece of the man I tried to forget.

You could never forget him, every day there was a constant reminder.

She had so many of the same features as her brother. Same colored hair, except hers was a little lighter blonde, with dark purple streaks. Her chin was a striking resemblance to Jayden, with the same sharp curve, and small indent in the center.

Beth's lips were a lot thicker than Jayden's, more pronounced and full. She had rich brown eyes and defined eyebrows, the same high cheekbones as her brother, and a birthmark above her left eye.

But there was no denying she was a Henry.

“You're right, I don't remember that, but I've always known who you were. My brother couldn't stop talking about you, ever.” Beth giggled, scratching her fingers through her hair and making it messier than it already was. “Jayden isn't here actually, he ran into town for breakfast.”

“Oh, okay, that's no problem. Can you just tell him I came by?”

“How about you come in? He won't be long, I'm sure he'd love to see you.”

“Are you sure? I don't want to impose.”

“Stop,” Beth said, reaching out and snagging my arm. “Come on in, I'll make us some coffee.”

Following her into the house, the floor buckled slightly under my feet and creaked loudly as I walked into the kitchen. Jumping back, I held out my arms, ready to brace myself if the ground suddenly disappeared beneath me.

“Oh, I should probably tell you that floor is a bit. . .” Pausing, she ground her teeth and squinted one eye. “Shitty, I can't even make up a word for it, it's just shitty.”

“You know I remember that floor board from when I was younger, but it's definitely a lot worse now.” Chuckling, I stepped around the faulty plank, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“Ugh, this place is falling apart. Jay and I still have to figure out what we're going to do. I want us to keep. . .” Beth's voice faded as my eyes were drawn to the sink, and the memory of our first kiss played in my head.

I could feel everything again, all of it down to the tingle in my toes that caused them to curl. His lips were warm and wet when they touched mine, the butterflies in my stomach were going wild, my veins were throbbing as the blood was forced through, and my heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. It was in that moment I knew I loved him, with that single kiss.

If he could make me feel that way with just his lips, there was no doubt in my mind that what we shared was special, it was something that came once in a lifetime.

My failed marriage was a token to forced love. You can't make yourself love someone no matter how much you might want to. It didn't matter how much my ex tried, he could feel I wasn't there.

And after awhile, he just gave up. The last time we talked, he told me my eyes said it all, I would never love him, not the way he wanted me to. People say your heart is big enough to love endlessly, and believe me when I say, I tried to give myself to him.

I wanted desperately to fall for someone else again, to feel those giddy butterflies and nervous knots in my belly, I truly did, but Jayden was the only man who would ever own my heart.

“You know?” she asked, leaning back against the counter, waiting for the coffee to brew.

Coming back to reality, I nodded in agreement, pretending like I had heard everything she had said. “Oh yeah, I can understand that.”

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