Marlee wrapped her in a hug. Tears trailed down Sadie’s cheeks, one after the other. Marlee squeezed tighter, making shushing noises like the experienced mother she was becoming.
“Why couldn’t he just let things be?” Sadie asked against Marlee’s shoulder before pulling away.
“I don’t know,” Marlee replied, releasing her.
“I don’twantthis. I didn’twanthim to force anything.” Sadie slumped against the brick exterior of her brother’s restaurant.
“I know, Sadie.” Marlee slumped next to Sadie in camaraderie.
“But Idowant it,” Sadie continued. “I want it and I don’t and how does that even make sense?”
“It’s love, sweetie. Love doesn’t make sense.” Marlee’s own expression mirrored Sadie’s inner turmoil. “A little over a year ago, I thought I was going to spend my life with someone else. Now that I have Eli, Luke…I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
“But nobody forced you to be together.”
“No, we did that all on our own with mutual bad decision-making.” Marlee turned her head toward Sadie.
“What do I do?” Sadie asked, feeling as though her entire being were breaking apart. She raised her palms to her cheeks, holding them there. “I don’t know what to do.”
“You love him,” Marlee said, sounding sure. So, so sure.
How was she so sure?
“In the words of Tina Turner, ‘What’s love got to do with it?’” Sadie swiped at the tears continuing to spill.
Marlee’s expression went totally stoic.
“Everything,” Marlee said. “Absolutely everything.”
“What do I do?” Sadie asked again.
“What does your heart say?” Marlee’s expression gentled.
“It says it doesn’t know,” Sadie whispered.
Two hands on Sadie’s shoulders, Marlee stared her straight in the eyes and said, “Then wait until it does.”
“I have to make a decision about Chicago.” The sooner the better.
“Don’t you think you already made that decision once?” Marlee asked.
“They offered me a shit ton of money.”
“But you can make a shit ton of money here.” Marlee pointed toward the Rockies. “There will always be offers. You decided months ago what you wanted. Whether you stay with Roman or not, you already made the decision on where to land once. What’s changed?”
Honestly? Everything. It felt like everything had changed.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Roman’s heart seemed to be going through an atrophy. He couldn’t really comprehend how the ventricles still forced blood through his veins after he saw the expression of betrayal etched across Sadie’s face. Because of him.
He’d read once that there was only one way to die—the heart stops pushing blood to the brain. There were a million ways for that to happen, but only one way to truly die.
He didn’t believe that.
The heart could still beat while the existence one had hoped for, planned for, lived for…that existence dies.
He realized right then, for the first time since they’d reconnected, that his future might not include Sadie. He knew now what it felt like to have her walk away.
