Page 151 of Choosing Forever
I push my hair back behind my shoulders, frustrated when I give myself a mental shove. I’m not leaving. If I was going to, I would have after Grandma’s funeral. Maybe I’d managed to convince myself that this house was the only reason I hadn’t run off, but that was a lie.
The real reason I came home and why I stayed through every pitiful stare on the street and nervous trip to the grocery store was because I was waiting for this. For him to find his way back to me.
Maybe a part of me always recognized that he wasn’t ever hers. One mistake kept us apart, but one decision is all it would take to bring us back together, and this time, the decision hasn’t been taken from me.
I get to make it.
I’ve just got to decide now if I’m prepared for what a life with Darren would look like now. It will never be the life we would have had before. Abbie’s involved now, and so is Sasha. Running won’t be an option if we go ahead with this, and there isn’t another do-over waiting. This is our one and only second chance.
Without thinking twice, I play the first of the voicemails that have collected.
“Elle, I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I’m going to keep calling until you do. Not chasing after you has been one of the biggest regrets in my life, so just keep that in mind. We aren’t done yet.”
I swallow and play the next.
“I drove by your house and saw your car, so I know you got back okay. There’s a locksmith on their way over right now, and he’s replacing all of my locks. This won’t happen again. Have you eaten yet? I know you don’t like to eat when you’re upset, but you need to. Don’t make me send my sister over.”
Scrolling through more, I choose one from yesterday.
“Good morning, beautiful. I’m not sure if you’ve listened to a single one of these, but just in case you’re listening to them as they come in just to delete them, I’m calling to remind you that I’m still here, and I’ll wait for as long as it takes for you to give me two minutes to talk through this. Have a good day. I miss you.”
My heart pinches. I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling before playing the most recent voicemail.
“Hey, Elle. It’s me again. Are you sick of hearing my phone voice? If you are, I’ll be at home all day, and I’ve put in an order from the diner just in case you show up. It’ll be here at six, and I’ve made sure to order all of your favourites. No pressure, though. I’ll bring it by and drop it on your porch tonight if you choose not to come. Also, your back gate wasn’t closing properly, so I fixed it last night. The last thing you need is a coyotedisturbing your morning coffee. Okay, well, I hope you’re okay . . . I miss you. Bye, baby.”
With a glance at the time, I curse. It’s quarter after six, and I’m in the same sweatpants I’ve worn for the last two days, and my hair is a total disaster. Surely, I can’t show up like this? Or maybe I can. This is Darren. And if I go to him right now, I may as well be signing off on a companion burial plot.
Fuck it. I’m so done with sitting at home alone, wishing that things could have been different. There’s no changing what happened. It’s time to create a future out of all the broken pieces of our past.
I stare downat the time on my dash before getting out of the car and gawking at the unfamiliar van parked in front of me. The voices escaping through Darren’s screen door are deep and masculine, ramping up my curiosity.
“Thank you for coming, Jer. If you just send the photos through to my email, I’ll take a look at them tonight,” Darren says, his voice growing in volume.
“You’ve got it. We’ll touch base tomorrow before the listing goes up.”
The door opens, and a guy steps outside, his black suit pressed and shoes so shiny the sun reflects off them. He gives a thumbs-up to the van, and then another man is stepping onto the sidewalk. The bulkier of the two gives me a curious up-and-down look before smiling and pulling a big white sign out of the back seat.
I rest a hand against the side of my car and watch him carry the For Sale sign over to Darren’s front yard. The mallet in his other hand is huge as he swings it onto the sign, sending the post deep into the ground.
“Delaney?”
Blinking slowly, I move from my spot and onto the grass. “What’s going on?”
“I’m selling the house,” Darren announces, as calm as if he’d just said the sky is blue or the sun is hot.
I stare at him as he hops off the porch and starts toward me. He slaps the bigger guy on the shoulder as he passes him, and then the men are getting back into the van.
“Why? This is your house. Where are you going? Are you moving? Is this because I wasn’t here at six?” I’m going to be sick. Heat rises to my cheeks. “If I’d known you were going to leave, I’d have decided quicker. I would have been here yesterday.”
He ignores my rambling. His eyes are latched onto my upper body, a soul-deep bewilderment glimmering inside of them. “What are you wearing, Elle?”
“Answer me first.”
“I can’t even think right now with you wearing that.”
“Well, try! I’m freaking out right now,” I snap.
The sound of his laugh isn’t what I was expecting. “You’re incredible.”
