Page 89 of Second Chance with the Enemy CEO
I watch her carefully, gauging her reaction as her eyes take in the setup. A picnic blanket spread across the grass, lanterns casting a soft glow, her favorite snacks arranged neatly on one side, cozy blankets folded on the other, and a small bouquet of wildflowers. The lake ripples gently in the distance, reflecting the last light of the setting sun.
“It’s…, a picnic,” she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Our picnic,” I corrected gently.
“You…, remembered?”
“Every detail,” I say quietly, stepping closer.
She turns to me, her expression unreadable, and for a moment, I wonder if I have miscalculated everything. Then her voice, calm but tinged with sadness, cuts through the air.
“Why? Why would you do this?”
“Because this was one of the best nights of my life, Hazel. Because I wanted to bring back that moment. Because I wanted to remind you or myself of what we had. Because I…, I do not know...”
She does not move at first; she just stares at the scene like she is trying to piece together her thoughts.
“Come on, sit…,” I say to her, waiting for her to sit before I join her on the blanket.
After just a few moments of silence, I pull a small box from my pocket and hold it out to her. “Here...”
She takes the box cautiously, her fingers brushing mine. When she opens it, two folded letters rest inside.
“What are these?” She asks, her voice laced with uncertainty.
“Letters I wrote to you,” I reply. “The first one…, I wrote two days before I came back. I planned to give it to you the night we were supposed to meet.”
Her brows knit together, but she unfolds the first letter anyway. As she reads, her expression shifts - confusion melting into something softer, something more vulnerable.”
Hazel,
I miss you. I know I have only been away for a few weeks, but it feels like it has been forever. It is the longest I’ve ever been away from you, and every second of it has been harder than I thought possible. The days feel empty without your laugh, and the nights are unbearable without your voice to soothe me.
I love you, Hazel. God, I love you so much. Every moment I am away, I find myself replaying all of the little things about you - your smile, the way your eyes light up when you are excited, even the way you scold me when I am being ridiculous. I cannot wait to come home, to wrap my arms around you, to kiss you, and tell you this in person.
I know you will be reading this letter in front of me, so I want you to do something for me when you are done - jump into myarms. Don’t hold back, don’t hesitate, just leap because they are already open and ready to close around you and hold you close.
Counting down the hours until I’m back. And when I am, I’m never letting you go again.
Yours always,
Liam.
When she finishes, she looks at me, her voice barely above a whisper. “And the second?”
“I wrote it six months after you left. I did not know where you were, so I never got the chance to send it.”
She unfolds the second letter, and as her eyes scan the words, a tear slips down her cheek. She quickly brushes it away, but the emotion on her face is unmistakable.
Hazel,
It has been six months. Six months since you left, and I am still trying to make sense of it all. I tell myself I should hate you for what you did - for how you left without a word, for breaking my heart, for turning everything we had into something that feels like a lie. But the truth? I can’t. I can’t hate you, Hazel, no matter how much I wish I could.
I miss you. Terribly. I wake up every day hoping it’s all been a nightmare, that I’ll walk out of my door and see you standing there with your camera, smiling at me like you used to. But you’re not here, and it’s like a piece of me is missing.
I don’t know how to be in this town without you. Every corner reminds me of you. Every laugh, every memory, every fight - it’s all here, haunting me. I’m in pain, Hazel. Pain is because of your betrayal but also because everything feels empty without you.
I hate how much I still wish you were here. I hate how much I still want to hear your voice, even if it’s just to tell me I’m an idiot. I hate that despite everything, I can’t stop loving you.
