Page 24 of The Sculptor

And what we lost.

Lifting my head, I take in the tears welling in her eyes, but the trembled plea in her voice crushes me. “If you love me, if this means anything to you”—she holds up the book, her breathing uneven, as she finishes pushing the proverbial knife through my chest—“then you’ll let me go.”

I don’t know what propels me forward.

Maybe it’s the crushing weight of the finality in her voice, or perhaps it’s the blow to my heart. No matter how she feels about me, she wants to be free. She wants to marry Langston, for whatever reason.

And denying her is the one thing I’ve never been able to do. “As you wish.”

Ramsey

As you wish.

I can’t get his words out of my head.

They’ve made me sick to my stomach, or maybe that’s just Langston’s feet inducing the nauseating reaction. “Put your elbow into it, Ramsey.”

Honestly, I’d love to put my ‘elbow’ into it. However, I’d rather aim it at his crotch, not at the arch of his foot. But this is what I asked for, right? For the man I love to leave me with this serpent disguised as a man, all so I can get the information that will change our lives.

Maybe.

The information could blow up in my face and be nothing more than a nightmare that I’ll never be free from. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Because if my mother was right…

I shake my head, smothering the runaway thoughts of a different future.

Focus, Ramsey. You’re so close. Duke will forgive you. He’ll understand you did it for the both of you.

Unless Mom was wrong.

Then Duke will never forgive me, and I’ll be stuck with Langston until he grows tired of me.

“Ramsey!”

I snap out of the thoughts racing through my head and look up at Langston, who is scowling, pointing to my phone on the table.

“Silence your phone,” he snaps. “You know how I feel about being disturbed this late in the evening.”

Yet he gets calls at all hours of the night, but whatever. I don’t even care at this point. Jumping up from the floor, I wipe my hands on my pants and swipe my phone open, seeing a familiar number and a text that stops me cold.

Duke: Ray? This is Lads and Lagers—the bar. Mr. Potter asked us to contact you.

Oh, no. My heart tumbles in my chest as I sneak a peek at Langston, who is busy reading his newspaper.

Quickly, I text back.How drunk is he?

I don’t have to wait long for their answer.Well, we tried to call him a cab, but he couldn’t remember where he was staying.

Three little dots appear and disappear before the last part of the text comes through.He said you knew where home was.

A sharp pain hits me straight in the chest—my beautiful, broken boy who hides behind jokes and sarcasm. I thought he had moved on from our past. Unlike me, Duke has a wonderful family—well, brothers—who supported him through it all. He went on to become a surgeon and make a name for himself. He didn’t crumble like I did. He was strong.

Until now.

Until I brought it all back.

The pain.

The longing.

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