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“That was two days ago,” my mom sighs. “I’m sure you’ve heard from him by now. Please, I’m worried about him.”
Betty hesitates again, and I fear she won’t say anything. Eventually, she answers, “Your daughter knows where he is.”
My heart skips, and my eyes widen as I sit up. My mom’s brows furrow as she looks at me, but I shake my head at her. “My daughter?”
“Yes. Penny,” Betty spits my name like it’s venom. “When I spoke to Andrew, he said he decided to use the tickets for the honeymoon. Since it was supposed to be a surprise, I don’t know where that is. But Penny would.”
“Oh.” My mom says quietly, nodding. “Thank you, Betty. I—”
Betty hangs up before she can finish.
“Dang.” Stacy shakes her head. “That woman is angry.”
“Rightfully so.” My mom turns to me. “So, where is Andrew?”
“Greece.” I quietly respond. I rise from my chair before she can get any more questions in and hurry into my room, closing the door behind me.
The Greece trip was my idea, and the fact that he’s there alone leaves me feeling nauseous.
I slowly sit on my bed, and stare at my phone on the bedside table. I grab it and pull up Andrew’s contact. I momentarily stare at his profile picture, and feel a tightness in my throat.
My courage dwindles, and I almost swipe off his contact. At the last second, I hit the call button before I lose my nerve. I fall on the bed as the phone rings. My heart is racing and my palms are sweaty, but I get his voicemail.
“Hi. If you’re getting this, I’m not available right now. But leave me a message, and I’ll call you back. Thank you.”
I shut my eyes, and tears fall freely as Andy’s voice washes over me.
“Hey, Andrew. It’s me. There’s so much I want to say, but the most important thing is that I’m sorry.” I take a deep breath, and blow it out before continuing.
“This is the last thing I ever wanted to do to you, I swear. I feel sick every day, knowing that I hurt and embarrassed you like this. If I could rewind time and handle the situation differently, I would in a heartbeat. I wish you would pick up the phone and talk to me because there’s a lot I need to say, but at the same time, I’ll understand if you never want to speak to me again.”
I pause, struggling to hold back my tears.
“You’re one of the best people I know, and I have faith that you’ll find the perfect woman for you—someone better than me who loves you in a way I never could. I know sorry will never be enough, but it’s all I have. Take care of yourself. Goodbye.”
The tears that have been gathering, fall freely down myself and my head drops into my hands. I feel completely overwhelmed and am second-guessing everything. Suddenly, I’m being pulled into a warm hug, and through a haze of tears, I see Stacy’s concerned face.
“It’s okay,” she whispers, patting my back. “You’re okay.”
“I’m not.” I shake my head. “I’m not okay, Stacy.”
She stays quiet, allowing me to say what I’ve been holding in since I ran out of my wedding. “I feel so guilty. So terrible. In the moment, I knew it was the right thing to do. But every day, I feel like a monster.”
Stacy continues rubbing my back. “Penny,” she says softly. “Andrew loved you. Everyone knew that.”
I pull away from her. “I know. That’s why I couldn’t marry him.”
“What do you mean?” She asks, confused.
I wipe the tears off my face angrily. “He loved me so much; marrying him would’ve been worse than walking out on him.”
Stacy’s brows dip. “You didn’t love Andrew?”
“I do,” I answer. “But, I’m not in love with him.”
“But that could have still worked,” she argues softly. “You could grow deeper in love with him as time passes.”
I rise and pace the length of the room. “Not if you’re in love with someone else.”
