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“I hadn’t made up my mind until this morning. I just know we’re going to be too busy to come back often enough to check on things, and I don’t want the house sitting here, going to waste.”
“We could find a caretaker to look after it, so when you want to come back, we can stay here.”
“What do I have to come back here for?”
“Baby, this was your home. Don’t you want to come back to visit?”
“I don’t think so. Not right now,” she whispers.
My eyes wander over her face. “Is this about your aunt?”
It’s been a couple of days since that whole situation, and even though I know it’s been on her mind, she hasn’t said much about it.
“No, not just her.” She shakes her head. “This just doesn’t exactly feel like home anymore.” She looks around. “Maybe when we have kids, we can bring them to visit and share this place with them, but I think I need to let it go for a while.” She rubs her lips together. “Does that make sense?”
“Of course.” I close the distance between us and pull her into my arms. “And it will always be here. We can come back whenever you want, even if there is someone else living here. Okay?”
“Thank you.” She leans up to kiss me, and I start to drop my mouth down to hers but look to my left when I hear tires on the dirt road. When I see an oversized truck, I hope like fuck this isn’t anyone in her family because I’m not in the mood for another confrontation.
“It’s Tyler,” she whispers, and my fingers dig into her sides when I realize she means it’s her ex pulling up and parking in front of the house.
When he gets out, I don’t bother to size him up because I don’t feel threatened by his presence. I know in my gut that, even with their past, what they shared doesn’t compare to what we have and are building.
Still, I hate the way he looks at her with familiarity as his gaze wanders over her.
“Elora.”
“Tyler,” she greets quietly, lacing her fingers through mine. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard you were in town and wanted to come see for myself.” He tucks his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’ve called.”
“I know, but I think we each said enough the last time we spoke.” His jaw clenches as his eyes come to me and drop to our hands.
When they go back to her, his eyes are filled with longing and a million regrets.
If I were him, I’d have a million regrets too.
Then again, had I been him and she told me she needed to finish the journey she didn’t get to take with her mom, I would have found a way to go with her. At the very least, I would have done everything in my power to make sure I was there for her whenever she needed me. And if she told me she didn’t want to be with me anymore, I would have fought for her until I couldn’t fight anymore.
If he had done that, their story could have easily ended differently. Instead of us talking about the future, those conversations would have been theirs. So, I guess, in a way, I’m grateful for his fuckup because who knows if she and I would have met if he’d done what he should have. And now that I have her, I can’t imagine my life without her.
“This your new guy?”
“Yeah, Roman, this is Tyler, Tyler, Roman.” I jerk up my chin, and he returns the gesture.
“Can I talk to you for a couple of minutes?” he asks, and Elora’s fingers squeeze mine as she tips her head back to look up at me.
“It’s okay.” I drop a kiss to her mouth, and even though I don’t want to let her go, I do. I know she needs closure, and I want her to leave this place with zero regrets. “I’ll be on the porch.” I step away from her and shoot him a look that states clearly that I’ll be close and that he better not do anything to piss me off.
I can’t hear their conversation from the deck, but there is no missing the way he fights to hold himself in check when it’s obvious he wants to reach for her or the way she stays far enough away that he couldn’t even if he tried.
Luckily for me, their talk is brief, and after sharing an awkward goodbye, he gets in his truck, flicking his hand in my direction.
“You okay?” I ask as she walks up to join me on the porch.
“Yeah.” She leans against me as he drives out of sight. “I love you.”
“I know.”
