Page 174 of Tied to You
My eyes close. The air around me is heating and it has nothing to do with the sun beginning to rise. The only woman who truly believed in me has left. “Means she decided my future for me.” That’s not strictly true. I did this. I blamed her. But she did this too. She made a choice without me. Gave me no opportunity to make this right. There’s absolutely no going back now. At least before there was a chance, one tiny slither of hope I could grab onto.
That’s dead now.
“Trav—”
I hang up. Dragging my eyes open, I get on my bike and ride out the farm to the top of the track. I’m fast. Unsteady. Wanting to put as much distancebetween that place and me as possible, I ride around the car, pulling back on the throttle but immediately slow to a stop, looking back over my shoulder.
I don’t recognise the car that’s been sat there since I got back. No car would pull up here if they didn’t know what this place was. Swinging the handlebars, I spin and ride alongside the passenger window.
Lights flicking on, the car’s engine purrs to life. The dazzling Mercedes giving away who’s inside. I trail my gaze, knowing she’s in there, only just making out the silhouette of a person. She doesn’t want to be with me. Her note made it clear. She won’t waste a moment of her time thinking about me.
“I guess I should get used to the pain you’ve caused.”
My low blow has her reaching for the handle, that fight still very much there. She’s stopped before she can open it, presumably her father keeping her on the straight and narrow.
I grin.
It’s fake.
Plastered on my face only for effect, nothing about this feels good. Nothing about this is what I want. “Don’t worry, Baby Doll, you were right.”No she wasn’t, don’t say it!“It was great whilst it lasted.”Liar. Coward!I reach into my cut, pulling out the box I was going to give her. I stare at it before closing my eyes, trying to hold back the fucking tears that are threatening to leave me. I can’t let them. I can’t let her see them.
Dropping it to the floor, I look to where I know she’ll be looking. I hate what I’m about to do, but I can’t stop it. Can’t stop the destructive part of my personality that thrives on pushing everyone away when I find myself in the rough. “You said it yourself, once; people save themselves when the shit hits the fan.” I swallow, my skin heating. “Don’t ever come back here, Mollie. You hear me? I don’t ever want to see you again.”
And I leave. Again. Before she can. Again.
This isn’t the ending I wanted with her.
I guess it’s just the one I deserve.
Chapter Thirty-Six
MOLLIE
Eleven years later, following the events of Straight To Me, and during the final events in Come Back To Me
The buzzer sounds, making me take a breath. This is it. I nervously stand, looking around my empty apartment, my phone held to my ear. “How long will you be?”
“We’ll have him home by four, darling.”
Looking to his picture on the side, I smile. My greatest achievement. “Thanks, Dad.”
“No problem. What?” I hear my mum ask him something in the background, forcing my dad to listen to her. He lets out an exhausted breath. “Your mother wants to know if we can make it six?” I can hear how tired he is. No doubt he’s been made to run around a football pitch all weekend. He must be exhausted. I know I always am.
When I hear my mum and Riley ganging up on him, I laugh, admittedly feeling it relieve some of my tension. “Sure, why not.” God knows I need a break. “He has football tomorrow morning though, so no double desserts.” I don’t think I can face him throwing up on the pitch again.
“I’ll make sure your mother doesn’t spoil him.”
“We both know that’s a lie.” The buzzer sounds again, and I’m forced to say my goodbyes. “Got to go. I’ll see you later. Oh and, Dad?”
“Yeah.”
I smile. “I love you.”
He breathes out. “I know, darling. Good luck.”
I’m going to need it.
Hanging up, I tread carefully toward the door. Taking another breath, I press and hold the intercom button.
