Page 62 of Mended Hearts

I raise a brow, encouraging her not to play dumb with me.

“A lot.” She leans back against the entrance to the office and stares at me. Her gaze darts to the ground as apprehension consumes her before finally letting out a heavy sigh. “Apparently, my dad had been on the fence about moving us back to Oklahoma because Brian’s father had been diagnosed with cancer and they were in need of a new pastor. Finding us together that night solidified that decision for him.”

As if I only take one thing from what she just said, I reply back with the most chick question ever. “So Brian? You knew him before me?” The idea of him having stronger ties to her than me stings a bit.

“Yes, since third grade.” She looks over at me and clarifies. “It was never like that…until it was. Our marriage began as a convenience. He was my escape route from my parents.”

“I thought I was supposed to have been.” I can’t hide the hurt in my voice.

“I thought so too. I came back. I needed to tell you. But when I got here, you were already gone. Your mom was so distraught that I couldn’t tell her. When she said you joined the Army, I knew the chances of ever finding you again would be damn near impossible.”

As things start clicking together, I feel my anger rising. “Tell me what? That you were marrying your childhood best friend like I never existed?” My voice booms more than I anticipate. Echo’s eyes widen, but she doesn’t jump. Which is good because I don’t plan on coddling her.

“No.” She shakes her head. “I came back here before ever reaching out to Brian. He was my only option. I only married him because I was pregnant.” Her eyes plead with mine. I see the tears forming and I don’t care. I want them to spill over.

“Wow, you wasted no time.”

Bang. Bang. Bang.

My eyes cut to the screen door, and I laugh. “Well, well, well. Lookie there. Mr. Convenient decided to show up.” Brian swings open the screen door and walks in with a cane. I notice the limp he’s trying to hide, but he’s too focused on the situation at hand to do a good job at it.

“What the hell, Echo? You take off in the middle of the night without a word and run back to your first love?” Brian says, glaring at the two of us. I want to be pissed, but his admission renders me speechless.

“It’s not what it looks like,” she replies, looking absolutely defeated at this point. As if the last thirteen years have sucked the fight out of her and she’s deciding to throw in the towel. She lets out a heavy sigh, pushing herself off the wall. Then her stance changes and it’s as if the fight returns. “Wait, you knew this entire time?” she questions Brian.

“Knew what?” He attempts to play dumb.

She steps closer to him, almost pinning him to the screen door. “Knew who Dustin was to me. Knew he was injured and didn’t tell me.” She jabs a finger into his chest.

“Yes.” He looks down, not willing to fully own up to his mistake. “It all came together right before we were injured.”

Echo paces the space between us almost as if she’s doing eenie meenie minnie moe to pick between us. “It all makes sense now,” she whispers.

I want to ask what, but this new turn of events revolves strictly around her and Brian. I’m just an innocent bystander.

“The injury, the unknown with your career, the pills, the drinking…” She stops in front of him. “You being a complete asshole, talking down to me, making me walk on eggshells in my own house.” Her voice rises with each statement. “It was all because you knew Dustin would be back in my life?”

Okay, at this point, I feel like I’m intruding on a married couple. But I can’t help but wonder what she means by I’d be back in her life. Just because our worlds had collided again, didn’t mean we’d become a permanent fixture in one another’s life.

“It’s everything. It all became too much. My career, all I’ve ever known is up in the air because of the nerve damage in my leg. Besides you, it’s all I’ve ever had. And I only had you because of it.”

Damn, I want to hate Brian, but right now all I can feel is empathy for him. Because same, bro. Same. No matter who she ends up with, she’s not receiving a whole man. She deserves someone who is complete, and knowing that’s not me torments me.

“You don’t treat something you want to keep like shit and expect it to stay,” Echo says flatly before walking out the door, letting the screen slam behind her. I want to chase her, but it isn’t my time. This isn’t my fight. More than anything, I want her to be mine, but on her terms and not because she’s confused.

Brian finally makes eye contact with me, and I watch as his gaze travels down my arm to where my hand should be, and he winces.

“Listen, man,” he starts. “You saved my life, and I never got to thank you.”

I head toward the front door, stopping in front of him. “You sure aren’t acting very thankful to be alive.” His body begins tosag, and I get the feeling that standing for this length of time is probably painful for him. I lean in, mere inches from his ear. “You lay a finger on her and you will wish I had let you die. I didn’t save your ass for you to come back and be an ass.”

“Why did you save me?”

I push open the door and step onto the porch. “Lack of judgment.”

I hurry down the steps, hoping to catch Echo before she takes off, not wanting us to end on bad terms. And not wanting to add to the shit plater she’s already getting served by her husband.

Brian walks out with his head hanging low. I watch as he limps with his cane and feel partially responsible for his injury.

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