Page 234 of Accidental Husband

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God, I thought I was there. But I thought I was there with Jackson too.

I never thought Griffin would run like that. Maybe I'm wrong about him too.

Maybe I'm meant to be alone.

I grab my purse, nod goodbye, walk the steps to my house.

The lights are on, but maybe no one's home. Maybe I can run to my bedroom, collapse, hide under my blankets, cry my heart out.

No such luck.

Mom is sitting at the kitchen island, sipping a glass of wine, picking at a plate of cheese.

She takes one look at me and shakes her head with sympathy. "Oh, sweetie."

I try to find the words, but they're still stuck in my throat. I can't tell her. I can't even admit it to myself.

I failed at marriage again.

And, worse, I failed Griffin. He failed me. I'm not sure where the blame goes. If it matters.

I'm losing my best friend.

I'm losing my favorite person in the world.

I'm losing everything.

"I… I guess we…" My throat quivers. "We're talking options tomorrow."

Mom's lips curl into a frown. "I'm sorry."

A sob falls off my lips. "Why is it so hard? Why is it so complicated? It should be easy. We care about each other. That should be all that matters."

"I know." She pulls me into her arms. "It should be all that matters."

But it's not.

She doesn't have to say it. We both know it.

Love isn't enough.

Love has never been enough.

This is it. We can't go back to normal.

Sure, we can go through the motions. Dissolve our marriage. Go to dinner and a movie. Test craft cocktails. Walk on the beach.

But it won't beus.

I've loved him my entire life.

I've known him my entire life.

I've needed him my entire life.

This is it. Everything or nothing.

Either my promise to try is enough or it's not.

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