Page 99 of Breaking Emily's Rules
“Is that it?” I clicked my key fob to open the truck and almost dropped a paint swatch. Ink Blue. “I need to go.”
He dragged a hand through his hair. “Just hear me out. I got my orders. Germany.”
I dropped my swatches to the ground. “When?”
Stone immediately bent down and proceeded to pick them up one by one. “Two weeks.”
“W-what about your father’s house?”
“My sister bought me out. I think she’s going to stay awhile, fix it up and maybe sell it.”
“And you’re helping her.”
He sighed then. “Yeah. While I’m still here.”
“I’m glad you two are speaking to each other. It’s about time.”
“Because of you. You were right. I had something bothering me that I couldn’t let go of. I hated to admit I was wrong, but it’s true. I should have contacted Sarah and our mother. What I did, what he did…it wasn’t fair, and I regret it. It isn’t easy for me to say that.”
“I know.” I accepted the last of the paint cards he handed over. “But I think you’re forgetting something.”
He studied me.“I know you said to leave without saying goodbye, but I wanted my goodbye, Emily.”
Seemed like my hands were shaking. This wasn’t fair. How dare he ask for a goodbye with his blue—cobalt blue—eyes? I didn’t want to say goodbye to him. I opened the driver’s side door to my truck, leaned in and threw the cards toward the passenger seat.
Then turned to Stone. “So long.”
But Stone reached for my elbow and I couldn’t leave without my elbow. I was tugged into Stone’s embrace and had no idea how it happened so fast but somehow I was hugging him back.
I closed my eyes and breathed in that wonderful smell that was all his. Pushed my face into his warm neck and tried to memorize everything about him. He always smelled so amazing. If this was it, the last time I’d hold him, I wanted to remember every smell, every touch, and every sound.
Across the street, I could smell the stale oil from the French fries at the Snow White Drive-In, and heard the sounds of a shopping cart rolling across the asphalt. Someone honked a horn. The wind whipped through a tree’s branches. My heart made no sound when it broke.
“This thing between us was more than I thought it would be,” Stone said and he squeezed me tighter still. “And it’s the hardest goodbye.”
I chocked back a sob. When he left, I had a feeling he wouldn’t be back again so I wasn’t even going to ask. My heart fisted in my chest as I considered all that could go wrong for him overseas and said a prayer that he’d at least be safe. Somewhere on the other side of the world, far away from me and Fortune but at least safe.
Stone released me and stood there and watched, hands shoved inside his jacket, as I slipped inside my truck.
I caught him in my rearview mirror when I exited the parking lot. Still staring.
I turned on to Monterey Street and headed home. In my purse, my phone buzzed incessantly but I wouldn’t answer it now. Driving rules. Not to mention it was hard enough to drive when my heart was shattered. Driving and talking on the phone while my heart was breaking? Sorry, too many moving parts.
I was madly in love with a man who couldn’t love me back. And he didn’t understand that I’d love him whether he’d reenlisted or not. I could love him long distance or short distance or any which way till Sunday. Real love had the ability to stretch boundaries, and I’d already catapulted over a few.
When I finally had a chance to look at my phone, there was a flurry of text messages from Molly.
Call me!
It’s important. Where are you?
I hope you know this is more important than your stupid pilot’s license.
I pulled into my driveway and wasted no time in dialing Molly back. “What’s wrong?”
“Finally. I need your help. I don’t know what to do.” Molly sounded weak, sad and almost wistful.
“Is it Sierra?”
