Page 90 of Broken Love

“His childhood home is on Geneva Lake.”

I scribble the address down from memory and tear off the sheet to hand it to him.

Archer takes it from me and stares at it for a moment. “Well, I have to ask. How do you know this?”

I crack a smile, smug as hell. “Library card.”

He stares at me with confusion.

“The Walworth County Library burned down in 1992,” I explain. “Only about half of the physical records were salvaged and transferred to the library the next county over, including the membership information of their grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Hart.”

He blinks. “Bloody hell…”

“The card was never officially used but her name still pops up in their member database, along with their home address. Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. Given the trouble Dante and the twins went to erase the place from record, I’d say he’s probably there now.”

Archer folds the paper in half and shoves it into his jacket pocket. “Well, I’m impressed, Sparky,” he says. “You’d make quite the private dick if you wanted to.”

“Thought about it, but I look stupid in hats.”

He laughs and pulls out his wallet. “You ever do find yourself looking for a job in hunting, give me a call.” His fingers flick toward me, squeezing a black business card between his fingertips.

I take it from him and slide it into my bag. “Maybe I will.”

His grin stays on his face as he turns to take the stairs down. “Be seeing you, mate.”

“Be seeing you,” I repeat, watching him closely until his shadow disappears out the door and it latches closed behind him.

Caleb is asleep by the time I get back inside. I bolt the door behind me and slide the chain in place, feeling more than a little overprotective. Nothing lurches my heart more than seeing her this vulnerable. She’ll be back to her normal self by morning and she won’t need me anymore. She has never needed me, honestly, but it’s never been a goal of mine to make her either.

Want, on the other hand. If I could figure out how to make her want me, then all my problems would be solved overnight.

I set my messenger bag down on the counter.

Caleb Fawn. I’ve never in my life wanted anything more than I want her. I spent days in a warehouse praying for water and I can safely say I didn’t want it to rain out in the fucking desert as much as I want Caleb Fawn in my life.

But none of that matters if she doesn’t feel the same way.

I reach into my bag and slide the brown envelope out. It’s been almost two years since I stuffed it into the back pocket and swore I’d forget it ever existed, but it always lingered in the corners of my mind like an awkward growing pain.

I pull the papers out and lay them on the counter in front of me. She signed them and sent them over to me before the ink was even dry. Her signature even has a slight smear to it on every page, like she just couldn’t wait to get it over with.

I grab a pen from my bag and sign each one. I don’t want to, but I can’t force her to stay with me. I could slip out right now and spend the next two years avoiding her again. We’d still be lawfully wedded but we wouldn’t be married like I want to be.

I slide the papers back into the envelope and I leave it on the counter for her.

I told her I’d stay, and I will. If tonight’s the last time I’ll get to feel her next to me then I won’t miss it.

I kick off my shoes and lie down beside her. She rolls over and lays her head on my shoulder. Her hair brushes my nose. Her hand falls to my chest. Her toes swipe against mine.

A few short hours of this bliss and I’ll leave.

Hopefully, by the end of it, I’ll be strong enough to let her go.

Chapter 27

Caleb

Ugh. My fucking head.

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