“Tofindher?” I demanded in rising concern. “She’s not just sick, she’smissing?Jesus, Jay Don.”
“I found her eventually! Thanks to my friend Oak.” He set his teeth and admitted, “She’s not living in the Colorado apartment anymore. She moved without telling me. I tracked her to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where she’s apparently a patient, but I can’t get any more information. Which brings me toyou.”
Lucky me.
“You’re still claiming you and Aimee haven’t been in contact?” Jay asked again, a little desperately this time, like he reallyneededto believe that I had all the answers for him.
Alas, no.
But this much, at least, I could answer honestly. “Other than through lawyers, signing uncontested divorce papers, Aimee and I have not been in contact.” I dug my wallet out of my pocket and removed a folded-up piece of paper I’d kept there for over a year. “This was the last communication I had with her. Go on.” I nudged the paper across the table, avoiding the tray. “Read it.”
He unfolded the paper, still eyeing me mistrustfully, then glanced down.
“Rafe,” he read aloud.
I wanted to tell him he didn’t need to read it to me, since I had the damn thing memorized—I took it out and read it every time I found myself thinking about either of the Rollinses as a reminder not to be weak ever again, which meant it got read pathetically often—but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing it bothered me.
“You have no idea how hard this is to write. You’ve been an amazing friend. I don’t know what I would have done without all of your love and support these last couple years. But I can’t keep living halfway like this, alive but not fully living.”Jay cleared his throat“There’s beauty and pain and wonder in the world that neither of us are experiencing, and that’s all my fault. We both deserve better.”
He looked up at me like he wanted me to explain it all, butnope. Not going there.
“What can I say?” I shrugged. “Your sister loves overdramatic letters the way you love overproduced tracks.”
He gave me a narrow-eyed look and resumed reading. “I know it’s your nature to be responsible for every-damn-thing, and to never admit defeat, which is why I have to leave like this. If I gave you a chance to talk me out of it, you would. If I didn’t burn the bridge, I’d find myself crawling back over it. We need a clean break, and someday when we’re back in each other’s lives again, you’ll admit I was right to do this. I’m seriously looking forward to that.”
He looked up at me again.
Again, I shrugged. “Not sure when that magical day is supposed to come. Hasn’t happened yet.”
“Marrying you was the best idea I ever had—” Jay paused, and his nostrils flared. “—but leaving is the second best. You’ll see. Thanks for everything. Love always, Aimee.”
Jay let go of the paper, and it fluttered to the tabletop. I refolded it tidily and put it back in my wallet, where it would sit as long as my poor, gross heart still ached for the idiot sitting across from me.
Sadly, I didn’t think I’d get to toss it anytime soon.
“I haven’t heard from her since,” I told him. “Now, why don’t you tell me more about what you learned. What was the name of that hospital again?” I tried to act all fake-casual, like I wasn’t planning on hunting her down and making sure she was okay.
Jay shook his head once. “No. You’re still answeringmyquestions.”
Didn’t it figure? Always Jay’s way, always onhisfucking terms.
“What was she missing out on?” he demanded.
Love? Sex? A real marriage?
“Hard to say exactly,” I semi-lied. “I think she felt stuck on the island. She didn’t always appreciate the, uh…quirkinessof the Keysters the way y—” I cleared my throat. “The way some people do.”
Jay frowned. “Nuh-uh. Everyone’s so kind. She loved it here.”
“No,youdid. Folks on the Key are all up in your business, and that bugged Aimee.” Mostly because it made it incredibly hard to keep her secret. I wasn’t sure how we’d managed it. “Also, you might’ve noticed the bridge to the mainland still isn’t fixed? It’s not exactly an easy commute to anything off Key. And, you know money was never particularly plentiful for us Goodmans. Not until we dug up that treasure a while back.”
I chewed another fritter meditatively.
All of that was true, but in general, I’d thought Aimee was… fine. If not happy, then happy-ish.
As happy as a woman with a chronic heart condition and a guy in a marriage of convenience with the sister of the man he was in love with could possibly be.
Huh. Okay, maybe it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise when she left.
