Page 59 of Make Me Whole
Chapter Twenty-Eight
BRADLEY
"So?"
I kept my gaze on the crackling fire in front of me while I touched the cold bottle to my lips. After taking a long pull of my beer, I lowered the bottle and perched my elbows above my knees.
"So, what?"
Next to me, Sawyer leaned forward. "I take it things with Hailey are progressing?"
"They are." I swallowed down what was left of my drink before setting the bottle on the ground. I'd come over to Sawyer's place knowing he was going to ask about things I had no answer to.
"That's it? That's all you have to say?"
I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. "What do you want me to say, man? That things with her are so different they terrify and excite me all in one go?"
When I finally angled my head his way, he wasn't wearing the teasing look I thought he would. Instead, a pained expression pinched his brows together and flattened his lips into a thin line.
"I know the feeling," even his voice held anguish. "I'd known Liana for about two weeks when she'd tipped my world on its axis with the realization that I didn't want anyone else but her."
For the first time, I actually understood the pain my friend must've felt when his wife left him, because the mere thought of Hailey getting in her car and driving away from me had my heart squeezing.
"You know," Sawyer's tone turned woeful. "I often wondered what our lives would've looked like if I wasn't Henry Axon's son."
Even though I hated his father for all the hurt he'd caused, I was angry with Liana too. If she'd loved her husband the way she'd said she had, the way she'd promised to, she would've stayed when things had gotten a little rough. Extending my arm, I gave him a few reassuring smacks to the shoulder blade. "You can't do that to yourself."
The pain in his eyes reached new heights. "Can't help it. My heart won't beat for anyone else."
I was the first one to admit that you had no say over who your heart picks. That's why even though I didn't like the idea I still suggested, "Have you tried reaching out to her?"
A strangled sound came from the back of his throat; he chased it back by gulping down the contents of his bottle. "More than once." He stood and ambled into his cabin, emerging a few seconds later holding a box.
After lifting the lid, he retrieved a few envelopes held together with an elastic band and threw it in my lap. Confused, I met his gaze. He simply jerked his chin in the direction of the envelopes before falling back into his seat.
I was careful when I removed the elastic, so I could study each of the five envelopes individually. All of them were addressed to the same person and all of them saidreturn to sender.
"Shit, Sawyer. I didn't know."
He laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "No one does."
I bundled the letters together and after securing it with the rubber band again, I handed it to my friend. Eyes locked on the stationary in his hand, his finger slowly traced over Liana's name.
He looked in my direction. "You never asked why I went to see my father that day."
I shrugged again. "It's not my business. Plus, I figured you'd tell me if you wanted me to know."
Sawyer hummed in agreement, before focusing on the dancing flames in front of us. "I needed to know how he was able to just stand by and watch my life fall apart while he knew it was because of the things he'd done."
I'd wanted to ask the bastard the same question. "And?"
"He couldn't give me a straight answer. Only said he was sorry." He shook his head. "His half-assed apology isn't going to take away the suspicion in people's eyes when they look at me and it sure as shit isn't going to bring my wife back to me."
"No, it's not," I agreed. "But you can't let his actions define you, Sawyer." My thoughts immediately went to Hailey and the things she'd faced and how she'd risen above them. As much as I wanted to give my friend proof that there was light at the end of the tunnel, I wasn't going to do it by breaking my girl's trust.
"I'm not gonna sit here and pretend I know what you're going through, because I don't." I gave him a long sideways glance. "Maybe it's time to move on, man? You did your part, you tried to reach out to her…" Shrugging, I let the rest of my sentence hang between us.
Smirking, Sawyer cocked an eyebrow. "Just like that, huh?"
