Page 46 of Fractured Heart

“If somebody had asked me fifteen years ago where I thought I saw my life going, I would never have picked this.” I snort a laugh but say nothing. “Eight years ago I found out I had been living a lie for six years. I didn’t believe Riverland when she told me but I started getting these glimpses in my mind like flashbacks and I saw you a few times.” I remain silent even though her revelation has shocked me. I can feel everyone staring at us but none of them move or utter a word. “I wanted my memories back so bad but the moment they returned, I was on this very bridge and screamed for you.” She slowly turns to face me.

“I can’t?—”

“You can look at me, Waverly.” I shake my head, fighting back the emotion trying to overcome me. For years I had nothing, I’ve been numb to everything in this world after the death of my son but just the sound of her voice has me wanting to crumble. “Look at me!” she screams. I stumble sideways and manage to catch myself on the barrier before I fall.

“I can’t!” I yell, hating the watery tone of my voice. I watch her through my lashes, step forward and crouch down in front of the cross that has my name and date of birth but…

“It doesn’t have a death date,” I mutter as she grabs something off the cross and stands holding it out to me. I hesitantly reach out and grab the weathered looking piece of jewelry that is covered in grime and moss. It’s a locket.

“I had that cross made eight years ago because I refused to come out here every month and look at a death date when I knew you were alive.” I finally lift my gaze to hers and see tears trekking silently down her cheeks. Her green eyes hold so much love in them that it has a lump forming in my own throat.

“Why come back here?” I whisper brokenly.

“Because I couldn’t let you go. I come here every month to bring flowers and have a team of Navy Seals that Knox has on his payroll drag this river. I needed them to find a bone or something so I could finally let you go but I couldn’t let go because I knew you were alive. I would have felt it in my soul if you were truly dead.”

“I did die.”

“No you didn’t. You just took a small vacation from being who you truly are because you needed to heal.”

“Why the fuck did you do all of this?” I shout as I wave my arms around. “And what the fuck is this?” I snap, dangling the locket from my finger in front of her. She reaches into her shirt and pulls out a locket that looks the same as the one on my finger, albeit the one on her neck is clean.

“Knox gave this to me when I was sixteen and had it inscribed. This locket brought me back to him. I hunted for months to find you the exact same one and had it inscribed so you would come back to me!”

I bring the locket closer and brush my thumb over the locket, clearing away the grime to read the message.

I’ll never give up, I’ll find you.

I flick my gaze back to hers and frown. “You had this made for me?” I whisper. She nods and sniffs as she swipes away her tears with the back of her hand.

“I never gave up on you, Waverly. The moment my memories returned I began searching for you all over the world. Every day after I finished work I hunted for you. Knox and Taylan helped. I need you to know that I never gave up on you! I will always find you, Wave, because I fucking choose you.” She sobs out. “I will always choose you, Waverly Bronson, because you are my fucking best friend, my soul mate.” She is full on sobbing now. “I love your brother and would die for him in the blink of an eye but you are my soulmate. My person.”

I don’t realize I’m crying until I feel the tears hit my cheeks. I reach up and catch a tear on my finger, I haven’t seen my own tears in… years. I haven’t felt anything aside from rage for so long I forgot what it felt like to feel something other than that.

“Please, come back to me, Wave, because I can’t lose you again, let me help you.”

I shake my head. “You can’t help me, Lay,” I say as I hold her locket out to her. In a move I did not see coming, she slaps me. I stumble sideways and it takes me a second to register what the fuck just happened. My men are shouting and threatening to shoot but I ignore them and Knox’s guys fighting as I turn back to Lakeland who is standing there looking like a lioness ready to charge.

“You fucking coward!” I gape at the audacity of this bitch.

“You have no fucking idea what I went through,” I scream, the anguished tone of my shout has everyone around us falling silent. “You lost your memories, big fucking deal. I lost everything.”

“Stop being a coward and running from the pain of your past and face it. You aren’t here to kill Knox and take Canada.”

“Yes, I am,” I sneer. She closes the space between us and presses her head into mine, her eyes are filled with pain. Good, she deserves to hurt after what she just said.

“No, you’re here for me because I made it out of that car and you didn’t. You are here to punish me by hurting him because you and I both know that I could have easily been you if you didn’t save me.” I shake my head but she pushes on. “You. Saved. Me.”

“So what?” I bite back.

“You want to punish me, then do it but don’t hurt him, Wave. The day he thought you died he did as well. He tortured me and blamed me for years, thinking I killed his twin, his baby sister. He never let you go, Waverly. For fuck’s sake, your face is tattooed over his heart.” I reel back earning a smirk from her. “That’s right, your face is tattooed over his heart because there is no one in this world that means more to him than you do.” I shake my head. “Don’t deny it because you would just be lying to yourself.”

“Stop talking,” I grit out past the lump in my throat.

“We named our son after you and River. We have two beautiful baby boys, Wave.”

“At least your sons are breathing!” I scream. Before I can stop her, she has arms around me and is holding me tight against her.

“I’m so sorry, Wave,” she chokes out. I try to push her away but she won’t fucking let go.

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