“You're hurting.”
“No shit,” I snort.
“You're not going about it the right way, dude,” she sighs, shaking her head. “Emma would scold your ass for getting lost in a bottle.”
“Emma isn’t here now, is she? She’s not answering my calls. She’s cut us out of her life.”
“You're being dramatic,” Hadley frowns. “She’s not going to be gone forever, I know it.”
“Yeah? And what's going to tear her away from her rich, lavish life?” I grumble sourly.
“Love.” She shrugs. “Your love and hers. I might be single as fuck, but I know love when I see it. She looks at you and Wyatt like the sun shines out of your asses. Whatever she feels like sheneeds to take care of, I know she will come back when she’s had some time to think.”
“What makes you so damn sure?”
“Because we’re awesome, duh.” Hadley rolls her eyes with a grin. “And, she loves me. We’re besties. She can’t stay away from me, she would die.”
“Now who’s the dramatic one.” I give her a blank look.
She sighs. “All I’m saying is, don’t give up hope.”
“I love her.” I put my forehead on the bar top. “I’m crazy about her. I’ve never loved any woman, Hads. She’s it. For me, for Wyatt.”
“I know,” she says.
“Time?” I ask, rolling my forehead to the side to look at her.
She nods. “Time.”
“I hope you're right.” I sigh heavily, exhaustion starting to take over.
I really hope she’s right.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The morning sun peeks over the horizon, casting a golden glow on the ranch. Normally, this sight fills me with a sense of peace, but today, it only reminds me of her. Weston and I haven’t been ourselves the last few days, moping around the ranch like a couple of lost puppies.
I saddle up my horse, the repetitive motion offering some small comfort. But my mind keeps drifting back to Emma. Her laughter, her smile, the way her eyes sparkled when she talked. How could she just walk away from all that?
As I ride out to check the fences, the memories bombard me. Us moving the goats on the ranch, her laughter echoing across the field as she wrestled the stubborn animals on the trailer. The day at the waterfall when it felt like we were the only three in the world.
It all feels like a cruel joke now.
I had never put so much effort into something, never let myself be this vulnerable, and it was all for her. Now, it feels like all of that, everything I gave, is thrown back in my face. It’s as if the effort, the moments we shared, were for nothing. The raw ache of rejection is unfamiliar, sharp. I thought we had something real.
I dismount and inspect the fence, but my heart isn’t in it. My thoughts are miles away, with her. I wonder what she’s doing right now, if she’s thinking about us at all. Does she miss us, even a little? Or was it all just a game to her?
The hours drag on, each task on the ranch a stark reminder of her absence. By the time I head back to the house, I’m exhausted, not from the work but from the weight of my emotions. Weston meets me at the door, his eyes reflecting the same pain I feel.
“Any luck?” he asks, though we both know the answer.
I shake my head. “No. She’s still not answering.”
We sit in silence for a moment, the unspoken words hanging heavy between us.
Finally, Weston speaks. “Maybe it’s time we pack up her things. If she’s not coming back…”
His voice trails off, and I feel a sharp pang in my chest. Packing up her things feels like admitting defeat, like letting go of the last bit of hope we have. But maybe he’s right. Maybe we need to face the reality of the situation.