Page 83 of Rewrite Our Story

I don’t look at Cade, instead I keep my focus on my dad. He watches me carefully. His lips turn down in a frown as he walks toward me. “I’ve never been very good at goodbyes,” Dad mumbles, pulling me into his chest.

I breathe in, relishing in the familiar scent of him. Our history is complicated and not the typical one you see between a father and daughter, but he still smells like home. He smells the same way he did when I was a child. When Momma was alive and we were all happy.

I wrap my arms around his middle and squeeze. “It won’t be goodbye for long. I’m expecting you to come visit me. It’s time you get a little city in you.”

Dad laughs in my hold. He kisses the top of my hair. “Only for you.”

We’re silent for a few more minutes as we hold each other tight. I’m the one to pull away first, but only far enough to look him in the eyes.

“I love you.” My throat feels tight. It’s harder to say goodbye to him than I thought it’d be.

“I love you, kid,” he responds. His voice is gruff and there’s tears welling up in his eyes. I squeeze one more time before pulling away. I know Dad wouldn’t want to cry in front of us, so I stop the goodbye before it happens.

Turning my head, I find Cade putting my second suitcase in his truck. I was so locked in the moment with Dad that I didn’t notice what Cade was doing.

"I’ll get her there safely,” Cade assures my dad.

Dad nods, looking at me. “Don’t forget to tell me when you land.”

I nod my head. “Love you.”

Cade doesn’t say anything to me. He just rounds the back of the truck and opens the passenger door for me.

“Thank you,” I whisper, trying to catch his gaze. He doesn’t give it to me. As soon as I’m safe in the front seat, he softly shuts the door.

In the time it takes for him to come around the front and slide in on his side, I wonder if this was a good idea after all.

45

MARE - AGE NINETEEN

Cade barely looks at me.With each minute that ticks by, I expect him to say something, but he doesn’t. He’s silent, and I’m so upset that he’d go to such great lengths to take me to the airport without planning to say a damn thing to me.

Neither of us say a word.

Not on the long drive to the airport.

Not when he parks the car in the unloading zone.

He doesn’t even look at me until he’s handing me one of my suitcases.

I’ve had two days to get angry. I’ve had two hours to get angrier and angrier.

How dare he downplay us? How dare he pretend that we weren’t happy together a week ago?

How dare he let me leave without even fighting for me—forus.

“So that’s it, huh?” My words are angry and untamed. He’s given me a long time to think about what I want to say to him, and I won’t hold back.

Clearly he has no intention of fighting for us, so I might as well say everything I’m feeling. I might as well get every single thing off my chest.

“Don’t do this.” His voice is rough. He looks rough. There are bags under his eyes, and there’s no color in his cheeks. There should be color in them. He’s been working from sunrise to well after sunset the past few nights.

“Don’t do what? Try to understand what the fuck is happening between us?”

“You’re leaving, that’s what’s happening. There’s nothing else to understand.”

I laugh sarcastically, catching the attention of people around us. I don’t care if they see me lose control or not. The boy I’ve loved my entire life is slipping through my fingers, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t keep it together. Not anymore.

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