Page 110 of An Endless Memory

I did. Would admitting the fact help me get over her? “She said she deserves better, and she’s right.”

“Yep. You’ve gotta be her best, and if you’re not willing to do that, then you need to let her go.” He turned in his seat until I looked at him. “You need to decide what you want. You, Eliot. Not everyone around you. Yes, our parents were selfish, but you’re not. You deserve better too. You deserve a life you look forward to, not one you’ve settled for. Letting yourself love her and spend your life with her isn’t selfish. That’s real commitment, and that’s one of the many things our parents were missing. So if you’re not willing to commit, then you gotta let her go.”

Lily

The kids were dropped off at school and daycare, and I was heading to work. It was Valentine’s Day. At some point, I would have to confess to Cali about my breakup with Eliot, but I also would like the legal papers to be filed before I broke her heart. When she asked about him, I gave her generic answers. He’s busy. The roads are bad. Maybe soon.

I hadn’t been brave enough to call Eliot about the papers, but I’d messaged him. Have you signed yet?

He’d replied an hour later with No.

No other explanation. That was two weeks ago, and I hadn’t dared message him again. Did I need to call him? I had no assets. I’d talked to the lawyer about a clean split. We’d each leave with what we came with. Was that no longer the case? I should call to make sure.

No. If I heard his voice again, I’d regress. I wasn’t crying every night anymore. I got to skip at least every other second without fantasizing about him turning up and ripping those damn papers up.

Once Valentine’s Day wasn’t looming over my head, I’d give it a shot. The day of love was not it. The day when couples celebrated each other would not be when I pestered my pretend husband about divorce.

Cali had wanted to do handmade cards she could pass out and write a special message for each classmate. It’d taken hours, but her excitement made it worth it. A nice task to take my mind off being alone for the day.

To make things even better, the day landed on a workday. Monday. I could see all the flowers that my coworkers got from their partners. I was happy for them. But I was still sad for me.

I pulled into a parking spot and went inside. I dropped my coat and purse off in the office and took my lunch bag to the break room.

Sutton came out of an exam room, and her eyes widened when she saw me. “Oh, hey. You’re here. Hi.”

She wasn’t usually flustered. She was back to working full days, but she also split her time between clients and office work.

“Yes, I’m here. Did I get my shift wrong?”

“No.” Her pitch went up. “I actually need help in Exam One. Right now.”

Was she feeling guilty that she was handing off a tough animal? I relished the challenge. When all of my brainpower was required for a wild patient, then I couldn’t think about my impending divorce. “Whatcha got?”

“Uh…” She stepped closer and put her hands on each side of her head. “Just know—whatever happens in there, it has no effect on your job.”

“That bad?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to let me know.” She rushed down the hall.

That was weird.

I opened the door and stepped in, checking the exam table and then the floor when I saw the table was empty. “Hi, how’s it going today?”

My gaze landed on a pair of cowboy boots. The scent of leather and sandalwood hit me, and I let the door fall shut behind me. My heart hammered hard as my attention wandered up a very familiar long-legged stance.

Oh god. It was him. He was here.

I brushed my gaze over his wide chest, covered in a loose red-plaid shirt over a black T-shirt. When I landed on his face, taking in his serious expression, I swallowed hard. “Eliot?”

I looked around the room. No cat? No dog?

Why was he here?

“Lily.” He crossed toward me.

My back hit the wall. I stared up at him. He was here. For me?

Was he dropping off the divorce papers in person? Oh god, I could not face a regular workday after seeing his signature saying we were officially done.

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