Page 85 of Bossy Mountain Daddies
The question hits me hard. I stare at my hands, unable to meet her eyes. "I didn't exactly tell them."
"What do you mean?"
"I left a note." My voice sounds small. "I couldn't... I couldn't say it to their faces. I knew I wouldn't be able to go through with leaving if I did."
Charlotte's silent for a moment. "A note?"
I nod, shame heating my cheeks. "I'm a fucking coward, I know."
"I didn't say that," she says, softer now. "What did the note say?"
"That I was sorry. That Poppy was fixed and I needed to continue to Wyoming. That what we had was incredible, but we all knew it wasn't forever." My voice cracks on the last word. "That I wasn't strong enough to face the scrutiny when everyone found out about us."
"Because of Daniel?"
The name sends a fresh wave of nausea through me, and I give her a little nod.
"Fuck him," Charlotte says with surprising vehemence. "Seriously, who cares what that cheating asshole thinks?"
"It's not just him though. He’s definitely going to post about it online, if he hasn’t already. I can't even deal with social media because of what he posted before." I cover my eyes with my hands, trying to stop the tears I feel building. "You should have seen his face. We'd just gotten back from this incredible night together, all four of us..."
Charlotte's eyebrows shoot up. "Wait, all four of you? Together? Like... at the same time?"
Despite everything, I can’t help but smile. "Yeah. Ford rented this amazing cabin in the mountains. It had a hot tub overlooking the valley, this massive shower, incredibly comfy beds." The memory washes over me—their hands on my skin, the way they moved together, taking care of me, worshipping me. "It was the most incredible night of my life."
"Holy shit, Skye," Charlotte whispers, eyes wide. "That's... wow."
"And then we got back to the bar the next day, and Daniel was there, waiting. The look of disgust on his face when he saw all of us get out of the truck together..." I shake my head, the shame and humiliation rushing back. "He knew. He could just tell. I saw it in his eyes..."
A sob escapes me, and then another, until I'm crying so hard I can barely breathe. Charlotte wraps her arms around me, holding me as I fall apart.
"I miss them so much," I gasp between sobs. "I miss them and I hate myself for leaving like that and I'm terrified they hate me now and I'll never see them again and I just... I just..."
"It's okay. Let it all out," Charlotte soothes, rubbing my back.
"I keep thinking about how they must have felt finding that note.” Fresh tears come at the thought of their faces reading my pathetic attempt at an explanation. I then tell her what Vannashared with me about Miranda, the miscarriage and how she left with no explanation
"You left a note though,” Charlotte says firmly. “You explained why. And you were only there for a few weeks, not in a serious relationship that resulted in a pregnancy."
"But it felt serious," I whisper.
"Maybe it was," she says, her voice gentle. "But you did what you felt you had to do.”
I pull away, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "I'm sorry. I'm a mess."
"You're allowed to be a mess," Charlotte says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "You've been through a lot. Not just with these guys, but everything else too... it's a lot for anyone to handle."
I nod, too exhausted to speak. The weight of everything—the grief, the guilt, the longing—presses down on me until I feel like I might collapse under it.
"Hey," Charlotte says, squeezing my hand. "I'm so glad you're here. And I promise, we're going to take your mind off all of this. We'll do fun things, distract you, give you time to process everything." She smiles encouragingly. "You made it here finally. That's something to celebrate, right?"
"Right," I agree, though my heart isn't in it. Wyoming was supposed to be my fresh start, my escape from everything that went wrong in Colorado. Instead, it feels like I've left the best parts of myself back in Flounder Ridge.
"Come on," Charlotte says, standing and pulling me to my feet. "Let's get some food in you, and then you can shower and rest. Things will look better tomorrow after you've had some sleep."
I follow her to the kitchen, going through the motions of eating even though I don’t feel hungry. She fills the silence with chatter about her job at the local library, her weekend hikingtrips, the cute barista at her favorite coffee shop who may or may not be flirting with her. I nod and smile in all the right places, grateful for her effort to distract me.
Later that night, I curl up in my super comfy bed. The sheets are soft and smell like lavender, but I find myself missing my room above the bar. Missing the distant sounds of the bar below, the occasional burst of laughter, the mountains outside my window.
