Page 82 of Deception & Daylight
“So that’s it? You’re just gonna leave?” Leavemeis what I want to say, but the words get stuck in my throat.
She pauses with one of my hoodies balled between her fists, looking at me with an expression I can’t decipher. “I don’t have a home here, Miles.”
I step into her space, cupping her jaw in both hands. My heart pounds out of my chest, terrified she’ll deny me. “Stay.”
“What?” her voice is small, or maybe my heart is beating too loudly for me to hear her quiet question.
I gaze at her longingly, hoping she can see the sincerity in my eyes. “I’m asking my girlfriend to move in with me. Stay for good. This is your home — ithasbeen since that very first night.”
She drops the hoodie and places her hands over mine, closing her eyes as a single tear tracks over her cheek, and I can’t resist bringing my lips to her forehead. “Please,” I beg.
“What happens when this fizzles out? Will you ask me to leave or will you let me stay and resent me for being in your space?”
“That’s not gonna happen. We both know you’ll get sick of me first.”
Myattempt at humor dies as Maggie steps out of my hold. “I’m not built for staying.”
“Maybe nobody’s ever shown you how. Maybe nobody’s ever been worth staying for.”Please tell me I’m worth it.
“I want to. I want to tell you I’ll stay and we can be together and live happily ever after. But I can’t. I don’t know how.”
“Then let me show you. I’m all in, Mags. I want everything with you. The late nights on the porch swing. The early morning sex. The house, the car, maybe even a dog. Anything you want, I’ll give it to you. Just say you’ll stay.”
“Miles, I…”
“Please, Maggie.”
“Daylight.”
I stumble back like I’ve just taken a gut punch — and maybe I have because that one word uttered in the most broken voice I’ve ever heard is the worst blow I’ve ever been dealt.
Chapter 34
Mags
? Wait! - Kelsea Ballerini
Afew minutes is all it takes to pack my meager belongings into the small carry-on suitcase and say my goodbyes to the town that carefully pieced me back together over the last three months. I meetup with most of the crew at Rosie’s for a farewell brunch, but I feel his absence like a dagger to the heart.
Miles has made himself scarce since I turned him down, and it feels eerily similar to being ghosted two years ago, only this time the fault rests squarely on my shoulders. I might even regret my decision if I possessed the emotional capacity to do so, but I’ve exhausted all of my reserves.
Paige hugs me outside the rental car, swiping away the tears that have fallen over her cheeks. “I’m gonna miss you so much.”
“I’ll be back. I promise. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” With one final hug, I slide in behind the steering wheel of my car and pull onto the familiar streets of the Oak Ridge. Onelast stop before I leave town.
The inn is quiet when I step into the foyer, the familiar scent of cedar lingering in the air. I glance around at the space, and a sense of peace washes over me. I’ll never forget this place, and the happiness I found here. I reach behind the desk and pull out the guestbook before heading back outside to my porch swing, allowing the rhythmic back and forth to soothe my ragged nerves. Pen in hand, I flip to the first blank page, preparing to leave my mark.
Once I’ve finished, I step back inside, ready to bid farewell to the only place that’s ever felt like home.
Tears blur my vision as I stand in front of the familiar brass bell on the counter. Summoning as much courage as I can muster, I ring it one last time. Lucy appears just as she did all those months ago, her beaming smile hitting me square in the chest. I think I’ll miss her more than anything. Almost.
“Maggie. Is it already time?” I nod, and her brows draw together as she captures my face between her palms. “I’m so proud of you, Maggie Watson. I think your mama would be, too.” A gasp escapes my lips as I meet Lucy’s gaze across the desk; the implications of her words sinking in. Her fingers trace along the spine before she flips to an early entry in the book — one I hadn’t read before.
Willow Creek Inn will forever be my happy place. Lucy Barlow, you are a gem. It has been an honor getting to know you. Someday I hope to bring my son or daughter back here to meet the woman who held my hair back as I violently puked into the toilet after my first positive pregnancy test. I think we’re forever bonded now. I hope someday our kids can be friends.
All my love,
Eleanor Watson, February 2000
