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I glance at Cody and Reed, who’s sitting right next to him. “Hey, I’ll be…” I point outside and Cody nods. “Find me if there‘s any news.” Kase went back to sit with Ellie as soon as the doctor let him, so I’m not sure how long he’ll be.
The cool air hits my face. It won’t be long until winter is here. I shiver at the thought of the winters in this place. This sixty-degree weather is our normal winter. I tighten my jacket around my stomach and scan the area for Wayne. He’s sitting on a bench, staring up to the sunny blue sky. When I approach the bench, he rolls his head in my direction.
“Can I sit with you?”
He nods once. The wooden bench squeaks as I sit down. The uncomfortable silence between us is new. It’s the first time he’s not begging and I’m not fighting back. Is there anything left to argue about?
He thinks he’s lost me and I don’t feel like fighting.
Where does that leave us?
“Thank you for coming,” I murmur, breaking the silence.
He nods again, taking a deep breath. “I would do anything for you and Reed.”
I play with the buttons on my jacket. “I know.”
“Are you comin’ back to Texas?”
I snap my eyes to his. “Why wouldn’t I go back? That’s my home.”
He shrugs half-heartedly. “Kase is here. And so is your sister. What’s left in Texas?” The indifference in his voice knots my chest.
“Well… my mom is there.” Tears threaten to fall as they pool in my eyes. Is this the end of us? Our final chapter? My gaze darts around, fear ricochets in my head. But I didn’t want him last week. Am I only panicking because Kase doesn’t want me?
I dig the heels of my palm into my eyes, I’m so tired of being confused. Why do I think I’m making a mistake letting him go? I’ve been on my own for ten months, what’s different now?
“There’s also you, Wayne,” I whisper. “I told you I wouldn’t take Reed away. But Kase will be in his life now, too.”
“And what about us? Are we done? Say yes and I’ll sign the divorce papers. I can’t do this anymore.”
“Why do you sound bitter? I did nothing wrong.” I sit up taller, irritated by his tone.
He pulls in a deep breath, blowing out his cheeks. “I’ve lost my wife and I’m losing my boy—”
I clear my throat, wishing he would stop saying I’m taking him away, I‘m not.
He pauses for a moment, grimacing, but then continues between clenched teeth, “I have nothing left to be happy about.”
His hand wraps around the edge of the bench, and I lay my hand over it. “Reed loves you. And so do I…” He peers over at me with apprehension. “I need time to figure everything out. I’m not saying we’re done, but I’m not saying we have a future either. I don’t want to go back to you, and we both question whether it was because Kase chose Ellie.”
His eyes come back to life at my words. Hope fills his body as he jumps up and then kneels in front of me. “I will wait forever for you, Everly. As long as there’s hope, I will fight with everything I have to prove that we belong together.”
I grin at the man I’ve loved for ten years. Admitting out loud that I wouldn’t have searched for Kase had I known the truth from the beginning, was eye-opening. Wayne dedicated his life to making mine perfect. And it wasn’t a simple task. Standing by a woman who couldn’t remember her parents or how to drive and help raise her baby was proof enough he loved me.
“You need to accept that Kase will always be a part of our lives, though.”
He shrugs one shoulder, smirking. “I put up with the guy for eighteen years, what’s a few more?”
It’ll be harder for Kase to accept Wayne. Kase has nothing to lose hating Wayne, unlike Wayne who has everything to lose. I push that aside, not wanting to deal with that at the moment.
“I need to go back inside.”
He nods and stands back up. “Are you going to be okay while I run to the store?”
“Yeah. Do you want to take Reed, he’d probably like to get out of here for a little while?”
“Do you have to ask?”
