“I don’t understand, why didn’t he?”
“A few days before our wedding, he told me he had to.” she continued, relieved more than she was scared. “I told him to go for it…and then wait to see if I still walk down that aisle…knowing that I’m marrying someone who will never look at me the same way.” She let out a shaky breath, the emotions of that night flooding back. She laughed bitterly. “He was so convinced that you would understand and that I was being foolish,” she shrugged as if to say the rest is history. She had since then apologized profusely to Ben for her threat on breaking it off with Matt, regardless of his forgiveness. Being the incredible friend Ben still was, he apologized for “interfering” and insisted it was her call, but gave her that very warning Liz remembered back at the hospital.
She had indeed turned her one mistake into many unforgivable ones. She wanted to sink into the sand right where she stood. It was over and she was beyond exhausted.
Matt gazed at her, his brows were creased and his mouth slightly open. Everything about his expression completely unreadable. A short moment passed before he spoke. “Did you mean it?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.” Her voice was hoarse. “I’ve replayed those words in my head a thousand times, and no matter how much I wanted to believe them…I don’t think they were true.” She watched him push some sand around with his shoe, his hands in his pockets. His avoidance now making her anxious. She was pretty certain this wasn’t what the doctor had in mind when he told her to take it easy for a few weeks. She took a few more steps back to lean against the concrete wall beside the steps. Giving him the time he clearly needed.
Not a beat passed before he sauntered the few short steps to reach her, pressing her further into the cool rocky wall. He stood over her, making her lift her head to look at him. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you too.” His voice was low but then a smile played on his lips. “My love for you isn’t conditional. It never was and won’t ever be.”
She dropped her head. He had a way with words. But she hoped for more.
He lifted her chin. “Lizzy, if there was the slightest chance that it would have compromised what we had back then...” he smiled brighter. “then I am undoubtedly forever grateful, that you never spoke a word of it.”
She let out an audible breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She let him embrace her once more. The need he had to protect her from her pain was profound.
“But it wasn’t just about us,” she said after a long moment.
Matt sighed. “Yes, yes I know. My brother.” He swallowed and the resentment flashed back in his eyes. “I’ll do it for you Liz. But I can’t promise it will be soon.”
She nodded, relieved. She may not have been proud of it, but part of her threat was to protect Matt’s relationship with his brother. She opened her mouth to say as much, but he immediately put his fingers over it. “No. We’re not spending any more time on this. I’ve been away from you long enough, and you have some nerve making me work for it. Now I’m going to kiss you and then you’re going to say you’re sorry for all the heartache you’d caused me the last few weeks. Yes, I am fully putting the blame on you, miss I need some time off…”
But she beat him to it. Shutting him and his banter off before he said something that would make him rethink kissing her at all.
He kissed her back, and she loved the force behind his smiling lips while lowering his hands to her waist. The kiss seemed to last forever. Neither one willing to let go. How this kiss did not bring back years of memories for her before, she’d never understand. But she would never forget it now. And, something told her, neither would he.
Roxanne Tully grew up in New York City where she studied theatre, stage management and design. A traditionalist at heart, she loves spending time in bookstores, diving into exciting new books. Roxanne now lives with her husband and two children in New Jersey, where she continues to write her next happily ever after.
Remember Me Page 21