Page 31 of Exposed

“He proposed to me the summer after I finished my online high school courses. And I told him I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

She looked at me like I was crazy. “Because I promised you that you’d be my first husband.”

“Only husband,” I said. “I clarified that several times.”

“I know. And despite what you said to me when you last saw me, I’m not a liar. And I didn’t want to be.”

She said she went to California to get over me. But it hadn’t worked. She still thought about me. She still heard my voice. Those hateful words I hadn’t meant. But a part of me was glad I’d said them now. Because they’d prevented her from giving her heart to someone else. For at least a while.

“I took the ring and promised him that one day I’d be ready to marry him. One day.”

“How many years did it take until you thought you were ready to break your promise to me?” It was a shit thing to say. But I didn’t want to hear about this.

“One day turned into several years. Being engaged didn’t feel like breaking a promise. But marriage? You were still in my head, even though I wanted you out. I thought you were off living happily ever after with someone else. But you still plagued me.”

Plagued.That was a good way to put it. Her memory had been a plague on my entire life.

“How long have you been married, Brooklyn?”

“Almost five years. But even though it took that long, it felt like we were married that whole time. We just didn’t make it official yet. Actually, it was never really official. We were both living under different identities. There was no officiant. No paperwork. Just us.”

So…she wasn’t actually married then. Right? She hadn’t actually broken her promise? I shook away the thought. No, she had. She loved him. She’d just said they acted married for way longer than five years. She’d been with him instead of coming back to me. She’d made her decision, and paperwork didn’t make a difference.

“You said almost five years,” I said. “When did you do it?” I realized how harsh my words came out.

“Christmas.”

“A Christmas wedding?” Was she serious right now? That’s what we’d planned. December 22ndwas seared into my brain. Had she forgotten that? Was this supposed to be a slap in my face?

“Matt…”

“I get it, Brooklyn. You did what you needed to get over me. To erase me from your memories. But I never got over you. And this one fucking hurts.”

“I only did it because…” she shook her head. “This is coming out wrong. I love Miller. I love him so much.”

“I get that.” Why did she keep saying that? Was she trying to prove it to me or herself that she didn’t fall in love with her father’s puppet?

“But I married him because it was easier to break that promise to you when I’d already broken another.”

“What?”

She fiddled with the wedding band and engagement ring on her finger. But she didn’t say anything. I saw it on her face though. Guilt.

“What are you talking about, Brooklyn?”

“I found out I was pregnant a few weeks before Christmas. I told Miller on Christmas day. And I kind of reproposed to him. And we made it official right away.”

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. She didn’t just marry someone else. She’d had his kid? She’d fucking promised me. She’d promised me.

“He’s four,” she said. “And he’s my whole world.” She shook her head. “Miller and him were my whole world.”

I just shook my head.

“And I’m sorry I hurt you. But I love Miller. And I love my son. And I don’t regret any of it because it all felt like the most amazing dream. Like I’d gotten everything I’d ever wanted.”

“Everything you ever wanted? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? That I meant nothing to you? That you didn’t think of me at all? That you were happy while I was fucking miserable? What the fuck?”

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