Page 101 of Heartless

Matt reaches his hand out to Onyx who glares at it. Matt looks between the two of us, brushes his hand over his hair and says, “Well, I guess I’d better be going. I just wanted to share that news about Mom and thank you.”

“You’re welcome, honey. I’ll see you later,” I call out to him.

He’s already walking away, but he glances at Onyx before glancing back to me and says, “Sure.”

I stare after him for a while, but my heart is rejoicing over what he’s told me.

“Is that what you’ve been doing on this island for the last couple of months?”

“Excuse me?”

“Look, MJ. I know that I fucked up, but the last thing that I was trying to do was run you into the arms of another man.”

Shaking my head, I say, “First, you come down here uninvited, and I don’t even want to ask how you found me. Then you all but accuse me of sleeping with someone while I’m still married,” I hiss, glaring at him.

His face turns red, displaying his shame.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m here because I cannot live without you, MJ. I don’t want to do life without you at my side.”

I turn my teary gaze away from my husband and down the beach to take in the increasingly growing crowd of people. It’s the start of Labor Day weekend so before the day is out, I’m sure this place will become packed.

“And you figured that out when?”

“Can we talk? Please,” he says.

“Sure,” I say, looking back at my towel.

Onyx leans down and packs my items back in my tote and loops it over my shoulder. He frees my umbrella from the sand and extends his hand towards me.

I look at his hand and then back at him. The grace of God fills me, and I take my husband’s hand and allow him to lead me back up the path.

“Which one is yours?” he asks, pointing at the cottages.

“The peach and teal one with the scalloped shutters.”

Chuckling, he says, “The gingerbread looking house.”

“That’s the one.”

“Not surprised that you would select something so cutesy.”

“Is that bad?”

“Nah, it’s just you,” he says, smiling at me.

I feel like the sun is beaming down on me, gracing me with love and joy.

When we step inside, he sets my tote on the couch and takes a seat on one of the pillows. Patting the cushion beside him, he says, “Come on. Let’s talk.”

I shake my head and take the loveseat opposite him instead.

“How did you find me?”

“Thought you didn’t want to know.”

“I do.”

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