Ourplace.
I keep walking—out of her life.
I think for forever…
It turns out, I’m wrong.
About so,somany things.
ONE
BRIAR, ONE WEEK LATER
I waitfor him to come back.
That’s my first mistake.
Sitting on the ground among the trees near the trailhead for hours before eventually sheltering in an old hunter’s cabin I never paid much attention to.
Because whenever I was here before, I was too busy getting lost in the beauty around me.
Too busy loving Brooks.
But all I see now is darkness.
And now I’ve spent a week waiting for him to come to his senses, to walk through the door, to tell me this has all been some sort of horrible mistake and he’s so damned sorry.
He’ll beg me to take him back.
And I’ll make him sweat—but only for a few minutes.
Because I love Brooks, love the life we’ve built, the man he’s become?—
Except that man looked at me with ice in his eyes just before he walked away from me on our wedding day.
And hehasn’tcome back through the door.
He hasn’t come backperiod. Not that day, not over the last week, not today.
After Brooks’s car pulled away, Jace tried to get me to go home with him, to dry off and warm up, to change my clothes and take a minute.
But I refused.
Ifought.
And eventually, he left me in the rain, in the trees. Though, not for long.Hecame back…and carried me bodily into the cabin, stocking the place with some groceries, blankets, and fresh clothes—clothes I refused to change into until this morning.
Because I was holding out hope that Brooks would come back.
The letter beside me on the bed makes it clear he won’t.
It contains information about an account in my name, an apartment, also in my name, and strict instructions not to come tohishouse.
He won’t see me.
He’ll have security remove me if I so much as approach the gate.
Because I don’t need to go back—all of my belongings have been packed up and delivered to my new apartment.
