AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The warm evening air wrapped around us as we walked up the hill, the sky painted in hues of orange and pink as the sun dipped below the horizon. The fields stretched out before us, a vast expanse of green that seemed to go on forever, untouched by the world’s chaos. It was quiet here, with just the two of us, with only the gentle rustle of the grass and the occasional chirp of crickets to keep us company. This was where I had always felt most at peace, but tonight, there was a storm brewing inside me, and I knew it was time to face it.
Stephanie walked beside me, her silence heavy with anticipation. I could feel the tension in her, in the way she was bracing herself for whatever I was about to say. My heart ached knowing that I had
caused this, that I had been the one to bring this pain into her life. But if there was any chance of fixing things, I had to be honest. Completely, brutally honest.
When we reached the top of the hill, I stopped, turning to face her. The fading light cast a soft glow over her features, and for a moment, I just looked at her, taking in the woman who had become my
entire world. She was strong, resilient, and beautiful in a way that went way beyond physical appearance.
And I had nearly destroyed everything because of my past.
“Stephanie,” I began, my voice trembling slightly as I tried to find the right words. “I don’t even know where to start. I’ve never been good at this—at opening up, at being vulnerable. But I owe you the truth. You deserve that much.”
She didn’t say anything, just nodded, her eyes fixed on mine, urging me to continue.
“I’ve always been a player,” I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “I never really understood love, not the way other people did. For me, it was always just about the horses. They were the only thing I cared about, the only thing that ever made sense to me. People . . . people were just there. And women- well, they were fun, but never anything more.”
I paused, taking a deep breath, the memories of my past flickering through my mind like ghosts.
“And then there was Monica. She was different—rich, powerful, exciting. She was married, so I didn’t have to worry about hurting her, about getting too close. To me, it was just sex. A game. I
didn’t think about the consequences, about what it might do to her or to me.”
Stephanie’s gaze never wavered, and I could see the hurt in her eyes, the way my words were cutting into her. But she didn’t look away, didn’t turn her back on me, and that gave me the strength to keep going.
“Things were good for a while,” I continued, my voice growing steadier as I spoke. “But then Monica started to get reckless. She wasn’t content with just sneaking around anymore—she wanted more. She wanted me, completely, and she didn’t care who knew. We were nearly caught a few times, and that’s when I realized that I couldn’t keep going. My career was on the line, and I wasn’t going to risk everything I’d worked for because of some fling.”
I saw Stephanie flinch at the word “fling,” and I cursed myself for how carelessly I’d spoken. But it was the truth, and she needed to hear it. “So I ended it,” I said softly. “I thought that would be the
end of it, that Monica would move on, and I could go back to focusing on my work. But I underestimated her. Ending things didn’t just hurt her—it enraged her. She was used to getting what she wanted, and when I walked away, it wasn’t just her heart that was bruised. It was her pride.”
I felt the anger rising in me as I remembered how everything had spiraled out of control. “Monica wasn’t going to let me go that easily. She made it her mission to ruin me, to make sure I could never work in Kentucky again. She had connections and influence, and she used them to back me into a corner. I had no choice but to sign that stupid agreement, to leave everything I knew behind.”
I saw Stephanie’s face soften slightly, a glimmer of understanding in her eyes, but I knew the hardest part was still to come. “And then I found you,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I found this ranch, Phantom . . . and I found you. For the first time in my life, I understood what it meant to love. You changed everything, Stephanie. You made me want to be better, to be someone who deserved you.”
The tears that had been threatening to fall finally spilled over, and I didn’t try to stop them. “I fell in love with you, with this place, with the simple, beautiful life we were building together. I should have
told you the truth from the beginning, but I was scared. Scared that you’d see me for who I really was, that you’d leave me before I had a chance to prove that I could be different, that I could be
better.”
I took a shaky breath, wiping at my eyes, trying to regain some composure. “But everything I felt for you was real, Stephanie. It still is. And I know I’ve hurt you, that I’ve made you question everything
we had, but I’m begging you—please, give me a chance to make it right. I want to be the woman you deserve, the woman who stands by your side through everything. Just . . . please, give me that
chance.”
The silence that followed was suffocating, the weight of my confession hanging in the air between us. I could see the conflict in Stephanie’s eyes, the way she was grappling with the truth I had just laid bare. Part of me wanted to take it all back, to erase the hurt I had caused, but I knew it was too late for that. All I could do now was wait, hope, and pray that she could find it in her heart to forgive me.
I watched as she turned her gaze out toward the fields, her face bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. I could see the tears welling in her eyes, the way her shoulders trembled as she fought
to keep her emotions in check. And all I wanted was to hold her, to comfort her, but I knew this was her moment, her decision to make.
“And,” I added. “There is something else, I have money, Stephanie. I have enough money that I can help with the ranch. We can make it something special together. I didn’t tell you that, either. I didn’t want you to think I was trying to buy you, but here it is, the whole truth.”
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Stephanie turned back to me, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain, love, and something else—something that looked like hope.
“Ashlyn…” she began, her voice trembling, and I felt my heart stop as I waited for her next words. “I’ve missed you so much.”
