“And in giving me your best, you never let me love all of you,” she says, her voice filled with sorrow. “Love means being honest with me and letting me make my own choices.”
Each word pushes my world into further chaos, unraveling any hope I had left for her forgiveness. The love that once shone in her eyes faded, replaced by a cold emptiness.
“I’m setting you free Silas. Free from the lies, the deceit, but most of all, the burden of living two lives.”
“I don’t want to be free, Ember. I just want you. Please… don’t do this,” I beg, rising from my chair and falling to my knees, my soul laid bare. But my desperation doesn’t faze her.
“Through everything you’ve said,” she whispers, her voice breaking, “you’ve yet to apologize. I’ve lost everything because of the MC life, including our baby. But I won’t lose myself.” Tears stream down her face, her hands trembling as she wipes them away. “If you truly love me, Silas, please, let me go.”
There’s nothing in her eyes that tells me to fight for us. My mind scrambles to make sense of her words, hoping they’re driven by anger. But, they’re not… they’re clear, unyielding.Let me go…
With a heavy sigh, I push myself up from the floor, feeling utterly defeated.
“If this is what you truly want, I’ll respect it. Just know that I’m only leaving to show you how much I love you,” I murmur, leaning in to kiss her tear-streaked cheeks.
She still doesn’t respond. Her silence cuts deep, but I force myself to back away, grabbing my keys and phone from the counter. As I head toward the door, her soft cries echo down the hall, slowing my steps, but I keep moving, honoring her wish for me to leave.
This is all my fault and I don’t deserve her forgiveness. I’ll give her the space she needs and maybe, just maybe, she’ll find her way back to me.
Opening the door, I turn for one last look at the life we built together, cursing myself for destroying it all. Stepping over the threshold, I close the door on the only woman I’ll ever love.
TWENTY
EMBERLYNNE
The momentthe door clicked shut behind Silas, the weight of what I’d just done hit me like a tidal wave. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I had the strength to go through with it because in my heart, I wanted him here, holding me, telling me that everything would be okay. But in my mind, the part that thinks logically, I knew this was the right decision… at least for now. When he admitted to me at the hospital that he was Maverick, I couldn’t find the air to breathe, as if the air had been sucked out of the room, and I was drowning in a sea of betrayal that threatened to suffocate me. My husband has been living a lie and I was too blind, too in love to see it.
As I walk down the hall toward the living room, raw emotions surge through me, chilling me to the bone. My legs give out as I sink onto the couch, burying my face in my hands, willing myself not to break. How am I ever supposed to trust Silas again? The ease with which he kept up this lie makes me feel like a fool, casting doubt on every promise he ever made. The pain of asking him to leave was unbearable and I don’t know how to move forward from here. Every part of me wants him to come back, but I know things have to change. I can’t live with the lies andwe can’t rebuild a marriage on betrayal. At the same time, I don’t see a way back to what we once were.
The life we built, the love we shared, the future we both dreamed of… all of it shattered. But what hurts the most is losing the baby I will never hold. Would the baby have been our saving grace if I were still pregnant? I guess I’ll never know. The only comfort is knowing Fury is no longer a threat. My father didn’t give me the details, just told me that it was taken care of and I didn’t have to worry about him anymore.
Glancing around the living room, I take notice of how everything is perfectly in place, meticulously cleaned as if nothing happened. It had been a wreck when Fury came and took me, but now it looks spotless, like the nightmare was all in my head. But the truth is heavy and inescapable. No matter how clean this room is, the memories of what happened here will always haunt me. It hurts to know that Silas took the time to restore our home so that I would come home to something normal, but nothing feels normal anymore. Not after everything that’s happened. It’s as if the life we shared has been wiped clean, leaving nothing but an empty room and memories too painful to bear.
The scar on my thigh is a constant reminder of that dank motel room where Fury held me captive. I limp slowly into the bedroom, craving nothing but a long hot shower, a steaming cup of tea, and one of the pain pills my doctor prescribed. Though the waterproof bandage covers the wound, I’m not allowed to fully submerge my leg just yet. I’d much rather soak in the jacuzzi tub, but for now, it’ll have to wait. I’m about to go turn on the water when my phone buzzes on the nightstand. Silas must’ve picked it up from the floor of the closet when… my thought trails off because I don’t want to rehash memories from that night. Staring at the screen, I see that it’s Londyn. I haveevery reason not to answer, but after everything, especially since she was kidnapped too, maybe I owe her that much.
“Hey Londyn, I was just about to get in the shower. Can this wait?” I say, my voice slightly clipped, hoping she’ll take the hint.
“Ember, please, I know you don’t want to hear from me right now, but I have to explain,” she rushes, her voice shaky. I’m silent for a moment, gripping the phone tighter as anger stirs in my veins. I’m not in the mood for more explanations, more lies, but I let her continue.
“I never meant to hurt you. It wasn’t my place to say anything, and Maverick wanted to make sure you were protected at all times. But, Ember, I swear our friendship is real,” she pleads.
“So, you lied to protect me and I still got kidnapped?” I bite back, the irony almost laughable if it weren’t so painful.
“We underestimated Fury,” she says softly. “But, I was just following orders, trying to keep you safe. I broke your trust and I’m sorry. I just… I didn’t know what else to do,” she adds, her voice cracking, the guilt evident.
“You should’ve trusted me enough to tell me the truth, Londyn. That’s what hurts the most,” I sigh, emotionally drained from all of it. “I get the MC loyalty thing. I understand it’s the club first, but that doesn’t make this hurt any less.”
“I know,” she whispers, a faint sniffle on the other end. “I just hope someday you can forgive me.”
Could I forgive her? Or is this just another wound that needed time to heal? Londyn’s friendship meant the world to me. She had become the sister I never had, and I love her for that. But right now, I can’t handle it.
“I appreciate you calling me,” I finally say, my voice heavy with exhaustion. “But I need space. Just like I told Silas, I need time to think and clear my head. I’m too emotional and makingdecisions based on emotions is what got us here. I hope you understand.”
“I get it,” she replies. “I’ll respect your wishes. No matter what Ember, just know that I love you and I’m here for you, whatever you decide.”
“I have to go,” I murmur, ending the call. It’s all I can manage. I’m too drained to feel anything anymore, and I don’t want to hear another apology. As the tears threaten, the weight of Londyn’s betrayal joins the losses I’ve endured, and I’m not sure how much more I can take. As I step into the closet for my robe, my pace slows, the memories of Silas flooding back, overwhelming me. The familiar scent of his cologne lingers in the air, subtle but unmistakable. My fingers trace the edge of his dresser, pausing at the sight of his favorite watch, right where he left it. He’d forgotten it because in the middle of getting dressed, he decided to make love to me one last time before leaving. The memory of that moment pulls at my heart, tightening the ache.
It's just a watch, a small, everyday item, but seeing it reminds me of the mornings we spent together, laughing as we hurried to get ready for work, teasing each other about always being late. The sweet stolen kisses as we passed in the hall, the playful touches in the kitchen… every corner of this house holds echoes of us, of a life that now feels so distant. His absence is more painful than I thought it would be. Grabbing my robe, I head into the bathroom to start the shower. I’m met with more pieces of him… his toothbrush sitting in the holder next to mine, his razor resting on the counter as if he’ll be back any moment to use them. The house feels frozen in time, like he could walk through the door any minute and greet me with a kiss.
