Page 94 of Love Beyond the Illusion
My legs buckle underneath me, and I fall back to a sitting position on the edge of the bed.She didn’t take the goddamn money.
She loves me too.
I’m not going to let her go.
It's abundantly clear what I must do. I need to tell Piper how I feel. I need to tell her I’m in love with her and that I’m sorry for letting her go. I never should have allowed her to get on that plane without telling her how I felt first. There are so many things left unsaid.
I bolt out of the room and down the hall, ultimately leaving the check floating in midair from the abrupt mad dash out of the villa and to my car.
I’m going to get my wife.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Piper
Thelongest,mostexcruciatingflight I’ve ever been on—and that says a lot, considering I fly for a living. I pulled my hoodie over my head, tucked myself into the window seat, and refused to make eye contact with anyone on the flight. Once the plane landed and I grabbed my luggage, I made a beeline out of the airport, fearing running into someone I knew.
Now I stand here, eyes glossed over and a lump in my throat. Scanning every inch of my high-rise downtown Scottsdale apartment, the place I was so proud to afford and call my own. I’m unsure of who the woman who used to live here was.
I’ve never let a guy get to me this bad, but something about Jack is different from anyone I’ve ever met. This undeniable intensity and chemistry that I have with him almost act as an invisible rope pulling me in.
I glance at my plants, grateful they haven’t withered away yet. Lina has been stopping by to water them while I’ve been in California. I drag my feet along the hardwood floors, feeling weighted and lethargic. Rolling my luggage away from the door and still with my backpack on, I head into the kitchen and crack open a bottle of white wine that’s been on my counter for weeks.
Deciding not to make an effort to grab a glass from the cupboard above my head, I lift the bottle to my lips and gulp down a big swig. I’m not fazed by its barely tolerable lukewarm temperature.
The door buzzer goes off, breaking my spiral of sadness.
I flip on the intercom. “Hello.”
“I have a package here for a—Piper Bradley. It requires a signature.”
Of course.I rest my forehead on the wall next to the speaker and let out a heavy sigh. “Be right down.”
I see a man standing in a brown uniform when I get to the main lobby.
“I have a package for a—Piper Bradley,” he repeats, glancing down at the box in his hand.
I shouldn’t get used to hearing that name because soon it won’t be mine anymore. “Yes, that’s me.”
Without looking up, he hands me an electronic clipboard. “Sign here.”
I blankly stare at the signature line in front of me, thinking about how to sign a name that I’ve never written before. That’s not completely true. I had to write Piper Bradley on our marriage certificate. I squeeze my eyes shut, remembering what the penmanship looked like, and then I grip the stylus for a moment before signing.
“Thanks. Have a good day.” He hands me the small box and then quickly leaves the building.
Staring down at the brown square package no larger than the palm of my hand, I already know that Jack is the only person who would address me with his last name. My pulse races the entire way back up to my apartment.
As soon as the door latches behind me, I head right for the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors from the drawer. Placing the box on top of the counter, I cut along the tape line until the two flaps pop up. Inside, I find a mound of packing peanuts, but only when I push them aside do I find what’s hidden beneath.
I carefully remove a small, black velvet box. I hold my breath in anticipation of what’s concealed inside. It sends my mind into a frenzy. Pinching it between my thumbs, I lift the lid to find a yellow-gold crescent moon necklace with a tiny diamond embedded directly in the middle.
“Goddammit, Jack!” I scream at the top of my lungs, tears pouring from my eyes. This necklace is the same one my grandmother gave me before she died. Through blurred vision, my fingers pry the jewelry from the box.What the actual fuck?
“How the hell am I supposed to believe this was all just pretend at this point!” I shout into space. From the side of my eye, I catch sight of a tiny piece of pink stationery. I lift it off the table and hold it up to read it.
Mrs. Bradley,
I know this isn’t the original piece from your grandmother, and if I could replace it for you, I would, but I do hope this one brings you some joy anyway.
