My Happy Ending Part 2, page 33
“You...” I stepped in closer, my eyes looking at her flushed cheeks, trying to suppress the memories from the night before. “How was dinner, Talia? Your date with the doctor?”
And her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink.
“Work my ass. I watched him kiss you, Talli. And then... then you don’t...”
“You what?!”
“...then you don’t get back until, what, going on five in the morning?”
“I was on call... I... you were spying on me?”
“Hey, at least you took a shower in between us, got to give you that...” I caught her wrist before her hand made contact with my face.
“Did you stay for the finale?” she asked, her eyes full of unshed tears. “Did... did you see the part where I left, where I told him to stay the hell away from me? Did you bother to catch that?”
I let go of her wrist, stepping back and shaking my head at her.
“You should know better, Jase, because I’m not like...”
“Like what?” I snapped when she stopped. “Like what?”
“I’m not like you! Okay? I’m not like you!”
I nodded slowly, not saying a word as I swallowed over that lump in my throat, over the tears in my eyes.
Now I knew exactly what she thought of me.
And there was nothing more to say, was there?
“Just go,” she said, turning her back to me. “Just... just go. Get out of this condo, get... get out of my life. Just... go.”
“Fine,” I said, pulling the door opened, glancing over at her back that was still turned. “See you Thursday.”
Thursday.
At our divorce hearing.
And I started to walk out of that condo, I swear I did, but damn it...
I ... I wasn’t done.
And I slammed that door as hard as I could as I turned back around, ready to give her a piece of my mind, ready to scream at the top of my lungs at her, but... but I stopped.
I stopped.
Because at the sound of that slamming door she... broke.
And she dropped to her knees, her back still to that door.
“I didn’t mean it,” she sobbed, her face buried in her hands as her body began to shake. “I didn’t mean it, I swear, please... please don’t go... please don’t leave me.”
The room began to blur, my heart splintering as she continued to cry.
“Why? What... what have I done? What... did I do... that was so... wrong?”
Slowly I walked forward, my own tears falling before I made it across the room.
“Whatever... it was, I’m so... so sorry. Just don’t go... just don’t go.”
I knelt beside her, reaching out but so afraid to touch her, afraid... of... of...
No, I couldn’t be afraid. Not now.
“Talli?”
And she froze.
She held back her sobs as I placed my hands on her shoulders, giving a light squeeze. Please don’t pull away... please... please don’t pull away from me...
“I’m right here. I’m... I’m right here, and I’m not going any...”
I stopped as she turned suddenly, her arms so strong as she held on to me, her tears soaking the front of my shirt. “Why?” she sobbed to me.
And I knew what she was asking.
And my heart broke right along with hers, as I finally saw... as she finally let me see... how badly I had hurt her. I could see it, I could feel it, I... I could hear it as over and over she just kept repeating that one loaded, painful word.
“Why?”
“I... I don’t know, Talli, I don’t know why. I just... I just know I was wrong.” I held her to me, my fingers tangled in her hair as she shook in my arms. “It’s time, okay? It’s time.”
“Time for...”
“Before we... before this is over, okay?” I leaned back, my hands cupping her face, my thumbs brushing away her still-falling tears. “I... I want my five minutes. Now.”
Please say yes, Talli...
She nodded briefly, taking my hand and standing as I led her over to the couch, that same couch we’d spent so many hours on all those years ago.
“Sit down, baby, okay?”
She lowered herself down on the couch, her back stiff and straight, her hands twisting in her lap. Her tears—those large tears were still dropping from her eyes, each one taking another piece of my heart. She took a deep breath as she looked up at me, her eyes watching as I sunk to my knees in front of her.
And I knew.
I just... knew.
“Jase, what...”
“I love you,” I cut her off, placing my hands over hers. “I... love you so much, with everything in me. I just love you.”
Her lips were parted slightly as a sob broke through, her hands trembling as I pulled them apart, caressing them.
“I... I know,” I continued, trying to steady my voice, “that love isn’t always enough. I know it doesn’t fix everything. And... and I didn’t show you, for the longest time I didn’t show you. That was so wrong, and I can’t take it back, I can’t erase it. But I can show you now. I... I can be the man I should have been this whole time, if... if you just let me.”
Her lower lip quivered as she inhaled again, looking down at our hands.
“No... no, look at me, Talli. Look up... look up at me.”
I waited for her eyes to lock with mine before I continued. “I’m sorry for... for everything. I’m sorry for being such an asshole, for... for being so short with you. I’m sorry that I was harsh, I’m sorry that I... that I gave you so much hell, that I argued with you over every little thing. I’m sorry I made you so anxious, I’m sorry I wasn’t supportive, I’m... I’m sorry I went on that fucking tour, because I should have seen. I should have known something was wrong. And I know you don’t believe me, but maybe... maybe someday you will. I didn’t sleep with her. I couldn’t sleep with her. And I could never love her, Talli, because I... I love you.”
“She wasn’t some random girl, Jase,” Talli finally seemed to find her voice. “She was someone you... you brought into our home. She’s someone you had a relationship with, someone you lied to me about repeatedly, purposefully. How am I supposed to get past that? How am I supposed to forgive that?”
“I ... I don’t have that answer,” I said, squeezing her hands, the guilt threatening to consume me. “I can tell you... I can tell you that I know how wrong I was. I can tell you that I should have turned to you, that I can see that now. I can’t find what I need or what I’m looking for elsewhere, because they’re not you. I... I let petty bullshit get in the way, I wasn’t honest with you. Hell, I wasn’t even honest with myself. I know now, I see now I... I should have fought for you, for us. I should have been the man you needed, the man you once loved.”
“Once?”
“I... I...” I felt my face growing hot as I stammered over my words. “Talli, this... this isn’t about the kids. Not anymore. We’ve proven we can do that; we can be a team; we can do what’s best for them no matter what. And... and this isn’t about our friends, or our extended families, or... or about Bree, or Paul either. This is about you... and... and me. This is about us. We...” I held her hands so tightly, praying with everything she would just listen, just believe.
“We didn’t try. Not when things went from bad to worse, not when they blew up in our faces, not when we were handed that opportunity on a tarnished platter. I didn’t just let you walk away once, Talli... twice. Twice I let you walk out that door. Twice I wasn’t man enough to... to do this. I wasn’t man enough to get on my knees in front of you and... and... oh, sssshhhh, please don’t cry...” I wiped her tears away, then caressed her beautiful face, my hands tangling in her hair at the nape of her neck, recalling the words I’d said to her so long ago in the pouring rain, the words I’d repeated over the years. “I love you, do you hear me? I love you. Above all others.”
“Please don’t...”
“I love you like there’s no tomorrow,” I went on, ignoring her whispered plea. “Please let there be a tomorrow.”
She closed her eyes as the sobs shook her shoulders, and I wanted so badly to take her in my arms, hold her to me, never let her go... but I wasn’t done. Not yet.
“Open your eyes, baby,” I said as softly as I could, feeling the shiver pass through her. I leaned forward, so close I could feel her shortened breaths on my face. “Talli... I love you like it’s never going to hurt, never going to rip my heart to shreds, never going to make me wish the hurt away, never going to...” My voice trailed off at the pain in her eyes, and I just had to know.
“One more shot, Talli. One more shot, okay? Give me a chance to make this right. Not just your friend, not just a voice on the phone. And maybe... maybe you can find it right here, in your heart, to let me back in, to love me again.”
“I never stopped.”
It was my turn to be silent as her words sunk in, as I searched her eyes looking for a sign—any sign, either way.
Was this really happening?
“Talli?”
“It wouldn’t hurt... so much... if I didn’t love you.”
I took the deepest breath I could as that weight, that soul-crushing weight I’d been carrying, lifted from my chest.
She loves me
“I just... don’t know if I can...”
“Say it,” I cut her off, my voice a muffled sob as I rested my forehead against hers, my eyes shut tight against the stinging tears. And just as she had so many times before when I’d asked, she complied.
“I love you.”
Oh God... it’s real...
“Jase, I just...”
I silenced her the only way I wanted to, covering her lips with mine. So much heartache, so much love flowed through that one soft kiss, and I was reluctant to end it, especially... oh, especially when I felt her fingertips on my face, that one sweet gesture healing just a little piece of my heart.
I kept my hands tangled in her hair as I pulled back, searching her eyes. “You once said that I was the only man who’d broken your heart that you could forgive. You’d said that... that I didn’t have to say I was sorry, because that’s what forgiveness is for.”
“That’s not fair,” she whispered, and I knew it wasn’t. The circumstances had been so different, but the threatened consequences had been the same.
“Just... one more shot,” I said. “Just... a continuance, okay? We get a continuance, and we... and we try. Really try. No more avoiding the subject, nor more skirting around the issues, no more walking on eggshells. All... or... or nothing. And if we can’t fix this, if you can’t forgive me, I’ll... I’ll walk away. But not... not now.”
She was silent, tears clinging to her lashes as we held each other’s gaze. And when she spoke, her voice was so very soft, so unsure. “If I say okay... what do we do then?”
“Whatever it takes,” I replied. I kissed her softly once more, reveling in the feel of her lips against mine, sighing contentedly as she leaned forward.
“What...” She shrugged slightly. “What do we do?”
“We... we call our lawyers.” I pushed her curls back and kissed the tip of her nose. “And then, we... we go to... breakfast? Or... or lunch. And we... we decide where to go from there.”
“Lunch? Like a... like a... date?”
And I couldn’t help myself, I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped my lips, I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her again, I couldn’t stop myself from holding her so, so close to me.
“If that’s what you want it to be, Spunky,” I whispered in her ear. “I’d sweep you off those pretty little feet if you... if you just let me.”
I heard another sob leave her as her arms snaked around me, her face buried in my neck.
“I love you so much,” I said, “and someday... someday you’ll believe me. Just... just say yes.”
Another sob left her, but this time... this time I felt her move. I pulled back slightly, searching her eyes, watching as... as her head moved...
North and South. North and South...
That... that meant...
“Talli?”
And with one soft word, my world was one step closer to being whole.
“Yes.”
COMING MARCH 2, 2022
THE CONCLUSION TO THE TIME STANDS STILL SERIES
My Happy Ending Part 3
Time Stands Still Book 5
Authors (especially indie!) rely on your reviews. Please take a moment to review this novel on the platform that it was purchased from. It is appreciated more than you will ever know!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carlie Yates (That One Writer Chick) has been writing stories since she was in the fifth grade, convinced that if she didn’t get her thoughts and characters down on paper, her head would ‘plode; it could be ex- or im-, but either way, it wouldn’t be pretty. Inspired by S.E. Hinton, she always said when she grew up that she would be a published author. This Midwest mom of boys has addictions to reading, road trips, hair dye, and the Oxford comma, and is thoroughly convinced at any given time the theme track to My Three Sons will start playing in the background of her home. She is currently renouncing her pledge to grow up.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANK YOUS
Rose Thank you for reminding me that being me is my greatest asset.
Kayla My business bestie for keeping me on track and my ego in check.
Tami The T to my J for the name and so much more.
Nellie For showing me that I deserve to succeed.
Zach, Marcus, and Jake Without whom I am nothing.
My Visions et al Loves For yelling at me for over a year to fix it.
Jon and Amy For being your awesome selves and for a kickass song. Until Later...
Cody For showing me that life is happening NOW.
Rich Words are never adequate!
Jeri Without whom Rebecca St. John would never have existed. You are The Queen!
Christa For your belief that I could do this and showing my what true friendship is.
Stephanie For you editing skills and for showing me that loyalty really does exist.
Carlie’s Crew Because you’re all AWESOME.
My Readers You. Yes YOU. Thank you for giving this indie chick a chance!
ALL NOVELS BY CARLIE YATES
The Entangled Series
Entitled
Entrapped
Enlightened
Time Stands Still
Wrong Number
Right Reasons
My Happy Ending Part 1
My Happy Ending Part 2
My Happy Ending Part 3 (March 2022)
Standalones
Everly’s Hope
Broken (July 2022)
Anthologies
“Perfect” in Shattered Illusions (The Authors’ Table)
Carlie Yates, My Happy Ending Part 2
