Again… not needing to.
A short time later, she was drifting off to sleep in his arms… leaving Xander awake, his eyes fixed on her ceiling.
And in that moment, without even thinking about it,
He decided to accept every and anything that came with loving her…
Including her undying love for another man.
seven
RYLEE
“Lenny, tell me what to do.”
Rylee stood opposite Lennox’s grave, her eyes fixed on the image of him mid-game.
The image was laser-etched into the polished black granite of his headstone. It stood tall, catching the sun that peeked through the clouds.
Fans had been to the gravesite—some as recent as earlier that week. She could tell by the fresh flowers and notes placed around the headstone.
It was something Rylee and his parents agreed should be allowed… that fan-access to the grave be permitted during certain hours of the day.
Rylee’s white roses sat amongst the other flowers.
Normally, she’d sit on the custom curved bench only feet away from the headstone—the one engraved with his name and left open for those who came to visit to have a place to sit with him.
But this morning, she needed to stand.
She needed to speak with him as up close and personal as she could get.
She sighed in frustration. Ran her hand through her braids and looked off.
Her eyes fell on the sea of headstones, varying in height and width.
She squinted at the names on the headstones, many of them recognizable. This cemetery was known for being the final resting place of many who were famous in life.
Like Lennox.
“I didn’t come here yesterday and I feel terrible about that,” she confessed, her breath like white smoke in the air. “I feel terrible about a lot of things that happened yesterday.”
That part was very true.
Xander had stopped by the brownstone.
And although Rylee had given him shit for popping up on her and her children, she was grateful for his company.
“I need you to tell me what to do,” she demanded, her voice cracking, eyes watering at the fact that it would be impossible for Lennox to do what she wanted.
“Should I keep seeing Xander? Can I… keep seeing him?”
Her chest heaved as the words left her lips.
“Because…” she exhaled, her breath pluming in the air, “because I love him. And I’m only falling deeper in love with him and… the kids love him. They love himtoomuch, if you ask me. And I don’t want them to forget you. I don’t want for them to only know that you were here and now you’re not. I don’t want to always get sad when I talk about you to them but happy when I talk about him…”
Her voice trailed off as she choked back a cry.
She lifted her arm to wipe at her nose with her coat’s sleeve.
