to ends.
“What are you doing here?” I pull the sheets up under my arms, as if covering myself might protect me from the sting deep in my heart.
“I needed to know you’re okay.”
“If you’re referring to my head, then yeah, I’ll be fine.” Somehow I know this isn’t what he’s talking about, or at least, not entirely.
“I miss you, Molly.”
“I miss you, too, but...”
He slides his hand up the sheets to reach for mine. Slowly, I slide it away. This is hard enough without touching him.
“I made a mistake. A huge, horrible mistake. I can’t take it back and I wish to God I could. If you could only try to forgive me, maybe leave the door open between us...”
“Maybe if it was someone else, Jason. But it was Mia. How do I forgive that?”
He looks out the window and for a few moments, he doesn’t respond. When he does, his voice is quiet, distant. “I was having cold feet. I knew I would walk down the aisle, but I just needed to collect myself. Mia came in and tried to make me feel better, but then she hugged me and started kissing me. I responded without thinking...and then your father walked in.”
I huff and glare at him. “Mia said the complete opposite. That you came on to her. That you’d always had a crush on her.”
He laughs. “You and I both know your sister has to be the centre of attention. I’m sure your wedding day was killing her, having to share the spotlight with you.”
He’s right. My sister has always been that way, and I’ve always stayed in the background while she shined, but then what if she wasn’t lying? Would she really ruin my wedding day on purpose? “I don’t know who to believe.”
“Believe me. I’ve never lied to you. I love you.”
“Don’t say that. Not now.” I breathe through the tears threatening to fall.
“I’m not asking for us to get back together now, but I’m asking for you to think about it. Don’t shut the door on us. I’ll wait. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”
“I don’t know, Jason. I need to think about this. I just don’t know if I can ever get over this. If we’d ever be the same.”
“But you’ll think about it?”
I nod. “Why haven’t you called?”
“I don’t know. I was…ashamed…and I needed to think. Plus I really didn’t think you’d take my calls.”
When he attempts to take my hand this time, I let him. He squeezes it tight before kissing me tenderly on the back of my hand. As he lets go, I consider reaching out to take it back, but I nibble on my lip and hold my hands together instead. I don’t want him to know how easily it would be for him to convince me to take him back. I’ve been with him so long, I’m not sure I know how to be without him. It’s like I’m just stumbling through life on my own.
“Just say the word,” he says as he backs toward the door. “And if you need a lawyer…I do house calls.”
I chuckle without humor. “Yeah, I’ll keep you in mind”
As his hand hits the door, I call out to him and he turns. “I’d prefer if you didn’t tell anyone about this, okay? Especially my mother.”
“No problem.”
When he opens the door, another man in an expensive suit stands on the other side. He smiles at Jason. “Jason Mathews? I’m surprised to see you here.” He glances back and forth between Jason and me.
“Dane,” Jason says with an air of caution. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“Are you Miss Denton’s lawyer?"
Jason answers yes at the exact same time I answer no.
I clear my throat. “No. He’s not. Can I help you with something?”
The men stand, sizing each other up.
“Well it was good to see you, Jason. I’ll call you sometime. Maybe we can catch up.”
“Oh, I’m not leaving.”
I groan. “I’m sorry, but who are you and what are you doing here?”
“This is Dane Thomas. He’s a lawyer.”
“A lawyer?”
I shift in my bed and sit up a little straighter.
“On second thought, if you want to
“What are you doing here?” I pull the sheets up under my arms, as if covering myself might protect me from the sting deep in my heart.
“I needed to know you’re okay.”
“If you’re referring to my head, then yeah, I’ll be fine.” Somehow I know this isn’t what he’s talking about, or at least, not entirely.
“I miss you, Molly.”
“I miss you, too, but...”
He slides his hand up the sheets to reach for mine. Slowly, I slide it away. This is hard enough without touching him.
“I made a mistake. A huge, horrible mistake. I can’t take it back and I wish to God I could. If you could only try to forgive me, maybe leave the door open between us...”
“Maybe if it was someone else, Jason. But it was Mia. How do I forgive that?”
He looks out the window and for a few moments, he doesn’t respond. When he does, his voice is quiet, distant. “I was having cold feet. I knew I would walk down the aisle, but I just needed to collect myself. Mia came in and tried to make me feel better, but then she hugged me and started kissing me. I responded without thinking...and then your father walked in.”
I huff and glare at him. “Mia said the complete opposite. That you came on to her. That you’d always had a crush on her.”
He laughs. “You and I both know your sister has to be the centre of attention. I’m sure your wedding day was killing her, having to share the spotlight with you.”
He’s right. My sister has always been that way, and I’ve always stayed in the background while she shined, but then what if she wasn’t lying? Would she really ruin my wedding day on purpose? “I don’t know who to believe.”
“Believe me. I’ve never lied to you. I love you.”
“Don’t say that. Not now.” I breathe through the tears threatening to fall.
“I’m not asking for us to get back together now, but I’m asking for you to think about it. Don’t shut the door on us. I’ll wait. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”
“I don’t know, Jason. I need to think about this. I just don’t know if I can ever get over this. If we’d ever be the same.”
“But you’ll think about it?”
I nod. “Why haven’t you called?”
“I don’t know. I was…ashamed…and I needed to think. Plus I really didn’t think you’d take my calls.”
When he attempts to take my hand this time, I let him. He squeezes it tight before kissing me tenderly on the back of my hand. As he lets go, I consider reaching out to take it back, but I nibble on my lip and hold my hands together instead. I don’t want him to know how easily it would be for him to convince me to take him back. I’ve been with him so long, I’m not sure I know how to be without him. It’s like I’m just stumbling through life on my own.
“Just say the word,” he says as he backs toward the door. “And if you need a lawyer…I do house calls.”
I chuckle without humor. “Yeah, I’ll keep you in mind”
As his hand hits the door, I call out to him and he turns. “I’d prefer if you didn’t tell anyone about this, okay? Especially my mother.”
“No problem.”
When he opens the door, another man in an expensive suit stands on the other side. He smiles at Jason. “Jason Mathews? I’m surprised to see you here.” He glances back and forth between Jason and me.
“Dane,” Jason says with an air of caution. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“Are you Miss Denton’s lawyer?"
Jason answers yes at the exact same time I answer no.
I clear my throat. “No. He’s not. Can I help you with something?”
The men stand, sizing each other up.
“Well it was good to see you, Jason. I’ll call you sometime. Maybe we can catch up.”
“Oh, I’m not leaving.”
I groan. “I’m sorry, but who are you and what are you doing here?”
“This is Dane Thomas. He’s a lawyer.”
“A lawyer?”
I shift in my bed and sit up a little straighter.
“On second thought, if you want to
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