Page 79 of Heart Breaker

Angelina is quiet for a few moments, smiling softly as she scrapes the onions off the cutting board into the pot with the blade of the knife. “Because I’ve known that man for years.” She stirs the onions once before looking back at me. “I’ve watched him keep everyone at arm’s length. He doesn’t let people in easily, honey. He doesn’t share himself with anyone else the way he does with you.”

My heart stutters.

“The way he looks at you? The way he worries about you? The way he talks about you? That’s real.”

My heart squeezes. “He talks about me? What does he say?”

“Not much. That’s not his way,” she laughs softly. “But he asks if you’re eating the meals I leave in the fridge for you.”

My stomach drops. “He does?”

“And he asks if you’ve taken those pills,” she pauses. “He doesn’t even know what you take them for, does he.”

I shake my head.

Angelina must see the panic in my eyes, because she comes to where I’m standing and puts a hand over mine on the counter. “When are you going to tell him, honey?”

My entire body goes still. “I don’t know.”

Angelina doesn’t push. “Okay. But he deserves to know. He’s your husband.”

I know Wes wouldn’t judge me or respond with anything other than concern. He’d look at me with those steady gray eyes and he’d listen. He’d ask thoughtful questions, the kind that would make it impossible to hide from. And afterward, he’d worry; not because he’d think less of me, but because he cares.

And that’s the problem. I’ve spent most of my life trying to make sure this isn’t the first thing people see when they look at me. That I’m more than just a patient, a victim, a survivor. I’m more than the scar that runs down my chest, than the surgery, the years of medical appointments and hospital visits, the whispered conversations that took place just outside my bedroom door.

I’ve worked hard to be Lottie. A wedding planner, an optimist, a woman who can take care of herself. Somewhere along the way, I convinced myself that if people knew my past, it would change the way they see me. It would become part of every conversation. I’ve never wanted an illness to be the most interesting thing about me.

Angelina puts down the spoon and wipes her hands on her apron. “Wes carries more than he lets people see, honey.” She glances over at me and I see the emotion in her eyes. “That man lost faith in people a long time ago. But it’s different with you. You can trust him with this.”

My chest tightens. “He’s so hard to figure out. Some days I feel like I’m finally getting close, then he goes and does something that leaves me completely confused again.”

“Of course he does.” Angelina snorts. “He’s a Winters man.”

A reluctant smile tugs at my mouth.

“The problem is, ignoring a hurt doesn’t make it disappear. He keeps busy, keeps flying, keeps working, keeps taking care of everyone around him.” Her eyes meet mine. “But that doesn’t mean he’s healed.”

I think about the walls Wes keeps around himself. The look on his face when he talks about his mom. The way he looks out for his brothers. The way he is with Poppy.

“I know,” I tell her. “But it doesn’t make dealing with him any easier.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Angelina says, before nudging a cutting board toward me. “Now stop worrying about that stubborn man for five minutes and help me chop some basil.”

THIRTY

Wes

Lottie slowly turns in a circle in the middle of the cabin. “This is insane!”

I glance up from where I’m running through my pre-flight checklist. “So, you like it?”

She stops and looks at me like I’ve asked the stupidest question imaginable. “Wes, I obviously love it,” she says, gesturing around the plane, running her hand along the back of one of the oversized leather seats. “Wow. These are real leather.”

I look up from my checklist. “I would hope so.”

In less than two hours, we’ll be landing in Pine Ridge, a quiet mountain town tucked between towering peaks. It’s the kind of place people travel across the country to visit, where newlyweds go when they’re stupidly in love. I booked us a private chalet. It has a stone fireplace, a wraparound deck, a hot tub with a view of the mountains. It will just be Lottie and me, for three whole days.

“I can’t believe this is your plane.”