Page 64 of Levi
“Even if that were true, our relationship was based on a lie.A lie that you knew about from the start.No relationship could ever survive this kind of dishonesty.Just because you say the sky is green doesn’t make it true, and telling yourself that you love me doesn’t make that true either.You knew how I struggled with leaving Los Angeles and how heartbroken I was.How could you sit there and watch me cry for days, knowing my husband actually cared and wanted me back?I don’t think I could ever forgive you for this.I couldn’t care less about me but when my daughter is affected by this, you’ve closed your own coffin.”
“So that’s it.We’re done and I’m never going to see you or Halo again?”
I haven’t really thought that far ahead really, but I guess we are.How can I be with one man when I’m still married to another?I’m not even sure that I’d want to be with someone who deceived me for two years anyway.
Brody walks back over to me and holds my hand as he sits down.
“I’m sorry, Sadie—Saylor.I think after losing my last relative and realizing that I was the only family member left, I latched on to you.Halo came shortly after and I had the picture-perfect family wrapped in a bow at my fingertips.”I can hear the sadness in his voice and my heart aches for him.I know he wanted a family really bad, but you can’t just steal someone else’s.“At first, I know we were playing a role but as time went on it felt right, and the more I let myself believe that this was real the more I wanted to make it happen in reality.Consequences be damned.”
We sit in silence for a while, taking in everything with both of us lost in our own thoughts.Never did I think that this is how my life would’ve turned out when I moved to LA.
“Please don’t hate me, Saylor,” Brody pleads after a while.
“I don’t hate you Brody, but I can’t say that I’m not mad as hell.We all played a role in all of this, it’s not just one person’s fault.”I lean forward and prop my elbows up on my knees and my head goes to my hands, hiding my face.“I need to get mine and Halo’s things, we’re going to be staying at Grandma and Grandpa’s house or with Glammy and Granddad.”
“What?No Saylor, you don’t have to leave.This is yours and Halo’s home,” he pleads.
“It really is not, Brody.This is your home and I think that my husband finding me and our daughter has changed things completely.Especially, now that the truth is out.”
He looks so sad and it breaks my heart that I’m the one who did that, but I can’t be here with him after learning the truth from his own mouth.I really feel like I have no fight left in me after the last few days.When is there going to be peace in my life?
I’ve got several bags of our stuff and most of my clothes and bathroom items from my room, along with my birth control pills and Halo’s vitamins from the kitchen.I didn’t really have anything in Brody’s room, even though he had pushed to move all my things into his.Brody helped carry everything out to the truck when an SUV pulled up to the front porch.Ryan steps out and I’m glad to see that he is alone.I don’t think I could handle another pissing match again.
“Mrs.Thorne I can take you anywhere you’d like.”
“Thanks Ryan, and can we go back to calling me Saylor?”
“Of course, Saylor.”He smirks, and it feels nice to have him around again.He grabs the bags in my hands and places them in the back of the SUV.
Ryan was a nice guy when he was my security.Once we established a boss/friendship, it made it easy to have him around all the time.He kind of reminds me of the brother I never had.
“Saylor, you can take your truck, you don’t need to be driven around,” Brody spouts off.
I know I could but it doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to him and I need to distance myself from him.
When the car is packed, I turn back to Brody and for the first time since meeting him, I’m nervous to be around him.We’ve acted like a married couple from the moment we met and now things are… different and I’m not sure how to be around him.
He starts before I can, “Please call me when you’re ready to talk.I know I went about this the wrong way but I do love you and Halo very much.I’d love to still get to see and play around the ranch with her.”
This is so hard because I want to say not a chance in hell, but I can’t bring myself to hit him with another blow.I’m not one to revel in someone’s pain, and even though he did what he did, I can’t kick him while he’s down.Halo already has a daddy, and I don’t want to confuse her any more than she is going to be.But something is nagging me and I didn’t want to add to this fire that is already separating us, but I need to know.
“What did you do with the photos I had you mail?The ones where you told me you sent them off.”
I already know the answer because everything that Levi and Mitch said yesterday has been confirmed by Brody.But I want him to say the words so he understands how hurtful and wrong it was of him to do this.
He steadies himself against the front of the SUV and hangs his head.
“They’re in a file in the lower cabinet in my office.”He sounds as defeated as I am right now, but I don’t have the capacity to help myself and him.My left hand feels weighted down as I catch the sight of his rings on my finger.Gently, I pull them off and drop them into his front pocket of his shirt.
How can someone you thought of as a true and loyal friend so easily be manipulating you and not miss a wink of sleep?Before I know what is happening, something comes over me and I lose it.The last few days have come to a head and I can’t take any more information.I’m like an active volcano erupting.My hand balls up into a fist and I wheel it back and snap it forward, connecting with his face.
“I think we’ve said everything we need to say.”I shake my hand to alleviate the throb.He looks shocked and I can’t believe I’ve just socked someone, but I think the last few days have me at a breaking point.
Brody tries to take a step towards me but Ryan thankfully steps in.Brody starts to say that he loves me and Halo over and over, and it’s almost too much to handle.
“Haven’t you ever been in love with someone that you’d do anything for them, even if it meant hurting them a little?”he pleads, wiping at the corner of his mouth.
I snort, thinking about what Brody just said.
