Page 41 of Forever & Again
The ache in her chest burned deeper, spreading like wildfire. She wanted to shake him and demand that he finally tell her the truth—not just about his feelings for her, but about why he guarded his heart so fiercely.
She swallowed it all, managing to keep her voice even as her insides felt like they were unraveling. “I am not asking you to fix me, Ollie.” She took a step closer, carefully reaching her hand out towards hers. “I am asking you to let me in.”
For one heart-stopping second, she thought he might. His lips parted, and his eyes searched hers as though he wanted nothing more than to pour it all out—every secret, fear, and fragile hope that he held so close.
But suddenly his expression shifted. His gaze dropped to his hands as he repeatedly wrung them together, as though he was afraid they would betray him and reach out for the one she still offered.
“I know,” he said softly.
Grace wanted to beg, but the words burned on her tongue. Before she could speak, Matthew’s voice cut across the garden, joined by the laughter and shouts of children calling Oliver back to the game he had abandoned.
He sighed softly, giving her an almost apologetic smile before leaving her there with her hand half-raised, her thoughts spinning, and her heart full of more questions than it had been before.
Chapter Nineteen
The door to Matthew’s study burst open as Grace stormed inside. Sarah looked up from where she sat near her husband’s desk, while Matthew, who had been mid-sentence, straightened from where he was leaning casually against the surface.
Grace held out the delicate, lace-trimmed handkerchief, her hand trembling slightly. Matthew’s eyes widened in recognition, and Sarah’s hands froze mid-stitch over her embroidery.
“Grace, where did you get that?” Matthew asked, his voice taut. Grace ignored his question and instead let her own tumble out without restraint. “TheOis not for Oliver, is it?”
Matthew and Sarah exchanged a knowing look, but neither of them spoke.
“I need to know,” Grace blurted out, pacing the space between them, her fingers twisting the soft white fabric. “Whatever he is hiding, I need to know!”
Matthew’s brows furrowed. “Grace, did something happen?”
“Do not deflect!” she snapped, spinning towards him. “I am done pretending that I do not care, and I cannot beg him to let me in!”
Matthew glanced at Sarah, jaw tightening, and a silent warning settling in his expression.
“Do both of you know?” Grace pressed, her voice sharp. Sarah shifted in her seat as though she might crack, but Matthew’s gaze held her steady.
“Please,” Grace whispered, unable to hide the desperation in her voice. She turned towards Sarah. “I do not need to know everything. I just want to understand.”
Sarah’s lips parted, but whatever she was going to say died on her lips as Matthew crossed his arms, forming a silent barricade between Grace and the truth.
“Do you not remember what brought the two of you together?” Grace asked, stepping closer to them, challenging Matthew with her gaze. “Do you remember what finally broke through all of your stubborn pride?”
Sarah blinked, hesitation shadowing her face, but Matthew remained unshakable. Grace softened her voice. “Itold Sarah how you felt, Matthew.Itold her what you were too afraid to say.”
Matthew exhaled slowly, his shoulders sagging with the weight of whatever secrets he was holding. “Grace, this is different. What Oliver is holding onto has nothing to do with you.”
Grace’s frustration reignited. “It haseverythingto do with me!”
“How?”
“Because I love him!” She hadn’t meant to say it, especially not to Matthew and Sarah, but the moment the words had left her mouth, she could feel the weight of each one settle deeper into her heart, steadying her shaking hands.
Sarah’s eyes lit up at the declaration, but Matthew remained firm. “If you want to know something about Oliver’s past, you need to ask him.”
Grace turned her pleading gaze towards Sarah, but her eyes remained fixed on her husband as she gave him a subtle, reassuring nod.
Matthew hesitated for a moment before he rose from the desk in quiet resolve, his gaze floating between the two women. “I will give you some privacy.”
Matthew stepped from the room, and Grace sank into the chair opposite Sarah, her fingers still clutched around the white handkerchief.
“I love him, Sarah,” she admitted again. “Whatever his burden is, I want to help him carry it, but I need you to tell me what happened to Odette.”
