Page 128 of The One for Me
Her gaze falls to the floor, and she shakes her head. “None of this is easy, but I’m trying to do the right thing.”
“And I’m just trying to show you that you don’t have to choose between Austin and me.”
She looks up, eyes filled with sadness and regret. “We both know that’s not true.”
“So, that’s it?”
“I don’t want it to be.”
“Well, you’re clearly not changing your mind, so now what?” I ask, knowing that there is no more time for us. She’s resolved to staying in Sugarloaf, which is the end of all we have.
“Now, we go home tomorrow, and I move out.” Tears graze the skin of her cheeks in a steady stream as she walks to the door. “I need to check on him, and . . .”
“Don’t do this.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
I step forward and place my hand on the door so she can’t open it. “There’s always a choice. Whether we like it or not, we have options. I love you. I love you, and I will do whatever it takes to make you happy here, but you have to be willing to take a chance.”
Devney’s hand moves to my chest. “I’ve made my choice, now you have to accept it.”
With that, my palm falls from the door, and she opens it. I feel her loss even though I don’t watch her go.
Minutes pass, and I feel empty, knowing that what we’ve had we won’t ever find again. The laughter, friendship, and connection that I’ve only hoped could exist for me is gone. I stand, unmoving and trying to come up with any other options.
I don’t know how to let her go.
I don’t know how to give up.
I can’t move until I have a solution, and there has to be one.
“Sean!Sean!” Dev yells with so much fear in her voice that my heart accelerates, and I run.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Devney
“What’s wrong?” Sean bursts through the door, and my breathing is so labored I can barely speak.
“He . . . he . . . he’s not here!” I finally get the words out as panic grips me.
I thought I knew fear when he was born, and the accident taught me that was a lie. This has shown me that I had never really known what fear was before this moment.
“What do you mean he’s not here?” Sean looks around. “Austin?” he calls out, but there’s no reply. “Austin!”
We both dart out of the room, but I’ve already searched the living room, kitchen, and bathroom and there wasn’t any sign of him or his crutches.
“Austin!” I scream as my hands shake and I try to move his suitcase and blankets, hoping he’s just . . . hiding. But deep inside, something tells me he isn’t.
He was angry when he went to bed, and I just pray to God he didn’t hear us fighting.
Sean’s voice continues through the apartment as we both search. I rush toward the kitchen where he’s standing.
“Anything?”
I shake my head. “Where could he have gone?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he just went downstairs. He couldn’t have gotten far on crutches.”
