Page 54 of The Breakup Broker

Afterward, he stayed wrapped around me, his head on my chest like he needed to hear my heartbeat. My fingers moved through his hair as his breathing slowly steadied.

“I should have called,” he whispered. “When it started happening, I should have?—

“Shh.” I pressed a kiss to his temple, my voice soft but steady. “Tell me about him. Tell me everything. Maybe it’ll help—remembering the good parts.”

He adjusted his position but kept his head over my heart, as though the steady rhythm was the only thingkeeping him sane. “He kept asking for you near the end. Said he wanted to see you one last time”

His voice cracked, the words tumbling out in a rush. “It happened so fast. I wanted to call you, but there wasn’t time. One minute he was there, and the next...” He buried his face against my chest, his breath hitching as the memory consumed him.

His words left me momentarily speechless, but I forced myself to ask, “What happened?”

“Brain bleed,” he said hoarsely. “The doctors said it was common with his condition, but God, Savvy. I wasn’t ready. One minute he was lucid, telling me about a folder, and the next...” His arms tightened around me like he was holding on for dear life.

I stroked his hair, feeling the wet warmth of his tears against my skin. “Tell me something good. A memory.”

His voice carried a touch of nostalgia. “He used to play chess with me every Sunday, even after he moved to Madison Center. He’d let me win sometimes, but only if I earned it. Said character wasn’t built on easy victories.”

“That sounds like James,” I murmured, my voice breaking.

“He never forgot about you,” he continued softly. “Had a first edition ofJane Eyreon his bedside table. Said it reminded him of you—a strong woman who wouldn’t let the world break her spirit.”

Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. “He was the only one in your family who ever saw me.”

“No.” Henry pushed up on his elbow, his eyes finding mine in the dim light. “I saw you, but I wasn’t brave enough to fight for what I saw.”

“Henry—”

“He made me promise to do the right thing. Ithink he meant by you and this town and everything that means something.” His fingers traced my cheek. “I won’t fail him this time. I won’t fail you.”

I drew him back down to me, needing his warmth as memories and grief tangled together. “Did he suffer?”

“No.” Henry’s voice was rough against my shoulder. “He was making plans right until the end.”

“That’s who he was.” My fingers traced patterns on his back, feeling the strain in his muscles. “A quiet guardian.”

“My father showed up at the end.” His body went rigid. “Started talking about arrangements, about Mom’s inheritance, like James was just another asset to acquire.”

“What did you do?”

“I told him we were done. That James understood what actual power was—not control or money, but love. The things worth protecting.” He lifted his head, his eyes finding mine in the darkness. “I walked away from all of it. The inheritance, the empire, everything he thinks matters.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“For the first time in my life, I am.” His hand cupped my cheek. “James left me something better than money. He left me the truth about who I could be.”

The vulnerability in his voice made my heart ache. I pulled him closer, wrapping myself around him like I could shield him from the world’s sharp edges.

“When I saw your text,” he whispered, “you must have thought I was disappearing again... God, Savvy, I’m so sorry.”

“You came back,” I said. “That’s what matters.”

“I’ll always come back to you.” He pressed his lips to my temple. “You’re my home.”

“Tell me what you need,” I whispered, running my fingers through his hair. “Anything.”

“Just this.” His arm tightened around my waist. “Just you. Holding me, letting me hold you. Making me feel like the world isn’t ending.”

A car passed outside, headlights briefly painting shadows across my ceiling. In the quiet that followed, I could hear the distant sound of the Hudson, eternal and unchanging.

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