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He shook his head, but said, “Fine. Let’s talk to her later tonight. Today I need some time with Ella. Some father-daughter time.”
Molly didn’t love the idea—she would have preferred to do something together as a family, but she understood. Scott needed to center himself, and part of that was reconnecting with his daughter. “Okay, Chloe and I could use the time to go school shopping.”
“Thank you,” he said.
Then he stood and came around to her side of the table, going down on one knee in front of her, taking her hands in his own. She blinked in confusion—the last time he had knelt at her feet coming to her in a rush of breathtaking clarity.
They had gone for a walk in the woods around his house one morning while the girls were still asleep. It was early spring, the ground still wet from melted snow. They had walked only a short distance when he stopped and faced her. She remembered how nervous he had seemed, how for an instant she’d thought he was going to break up with her. But then he’d dropped to one knee. And all her fears had fallen away.
He had spoken softly, humbly, as if he were asking a favor of her. Will you marry me, Molly girl? As if he expected her to say no, but couldn’t stop himself from trying, anyway. She had fallen even deeper in love, watching this big man struggling to keep the tears from his eyes as he told her that he loved her, needed her, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
In their kitchen in Durango, he didn’t ask her to marry him, but he did speak in the same quiet, sincere voice. And just like the first time, her heart swelled with love for him.
“Molly girl,” he said. “You are the best thing that has happened to me in nine years. I swear I never wanted to hurt you, and I can’t express how sorry I am. I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are never hurt again. I know you can’t trust me anymore, but I hope you can trust this.” His voice caught, and he squeezed her hands. “I have loved you from the day I met you. I have loved you every day since then. I will love you until my dying day.”
This was everything she had wanted—the apology, the regret, the declaration of love. But something else in his voice—desperation?—sent a flare of worry through her mind. There was something he wasn’t telling her. Something he was holding back.
“We can work through this,” Molly said, as much to herself as to him. “I’m not going anywhere. Do you understand? I’m staying right here, Scott.”
He pulled her against his chest, crushing her with an embrace that knocked the breath from her lungs. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes.
forty-six
The hardest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.
@InvincibleMollySullivan
Liv parked in front of Jeremiah’s house, pausing to collect her thoughts. She’d contacted her temp agency and told them about the family emergency. Then she’d packed her things, leaving the beige apartment just as she had found it. For the first time in her life, packing had been difficult. Painful, even. The apartment was too full of memories, even after just a few weeks. No matter how hard she’d shoved them away, they kept elbowing their way back.
Memories of mornings she’d walked out that front door, excited to meet Jeremiah for a run. Memories of the nights in bed with him. The evening—was it just yesterday?—she’d spent with Chloe and Ella, baking cookies. A delusional dream world, yes, but a beautiful one.
She’d considered leaving town without telling Jeremiah. But she knew that if the situation were reversed, she would at least want him to say goodbye. She owed that to him.
Still, she had to force herself to get out of the car and walk up to his front door. The sky had clouded over, heavy and slate-gray, but still no break from the high temperatures. If anything, the heat seemed more oppressive today. A thunderstorm was coming this evening, the radio announcer had said, but by then Liv would be long gone.
Jeremiah opened his door with a surprised look on his face. “You feeling better?” he said, leaning in for a kiss. When she took a step back, his eyebrows wrinkled together. “What’s going on?”
“I need to talk to you.”
He led her into his living room where she sat on the edge of his faded leather sofa, his three bikes to her right. He sat opposite her and leaned forward. “Talk, Liv. You’re scaring me.”
She exhaled. “I’m leaving. Something came up and I can’t stay here anymore.”
“You’re...” His expression went blank. “Why?”
She couldn’t tell him—not because she didn’t want him to know about her past, but because she would never spill Scott’s secrets to someone else. For Molly’s sake, at least.
“I can’t explain all of it,” she said, “but I will say I’m sorry.”
Jeremiah’s confused expression deepened into hurt. “I thought you had a few more weeks at your job.”
“I’m leaving early.”
“What happened?”
She shook her head, throat tightening. “Nothing. I just can’t stay here anymore.”
At that, he stood abruptly and walked to the window, gazing out at the gray sky. “I guess I’m not surprised you’re freaking out.”
