I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t talk. There was nothing I could say to him to tell him how I felt or to apologize for hurting him.
“I’m so sorry,” I managed to get out.
“Don’t do this. Don’t apologize for doing what’s best for you.” He was looking at me seriously and I knew he meant what he said. “I know you’ll succeed at whatever you choose to do because…because,” he said, pausing and smiling as I saw hints of tears in his eyes. “Well, because you’re you and you’re the most remarkable person I’ve ever known.”
“Would you please start being an asshole? It’d make this so much easier,” I said, wiping the tears as we both laughed a little and then it grew quiet again as the heaviness of the situation settled on us again. “I hope everything starts smoothing out at work and I truly hope Christina is going to be okay.”
“Thank you. Me too,” he said and then I felt a sudden weight on my left hand, my eyes drifting to the ring.
“I should give this back,” I said as I started pulling it from my finger, but then he placed his hand over mine.
“I designed it for you and I want you to have it.”
“Drew…I can’t.”
“Please. I want you to have it,” he reiterated, taking my hand and sliding the ring back down, and my mind drifted to when he’d first put it on me the night he proposed. We’d been so happy…so hopeful about the future. Never would I have guessed we’d find ourselves where we were now. “Consider it a little something to remember me by.” He was trying to be lighthearted, but then he touched the bracelet on my wrist…the bracelet to remember our baby by. “You’re okay, right? About the baby?” he asked gently, his eyes still focused on the amethyst.
“I’ll always remember and I’ll always think about what might’ve been, but I’ll be okay.”
“I like to pretend it was girl and that she looked just like you,” he said and I reached up, wiping the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes. “I would’ve loved to see our child.”
And now we’ll never get the chance, I said in my mind, not wanting to say the words out loud, but I knew he was thinking the same thing.
“Me too,” is what I said instead and then he let go of my hand and it fell to my side. “I should go.” I had to leave before I couldn’t.
“You should,” he agreed, but I didn’t move. He took my hands and then he pressed his lips against my cheek, holding them there for a few moments.
“I love you, Natalie.”
“I love you too,” I whispered and he let go of my hands and stepped back.
“Dream big,” he said quietly and I nodded, a painful smile struggling to reach my face, but unable to say anything more.
I turned on my heel and walked quickly towards the TSA agent, handing her my boarding pass. She looked at it and then encouraged me towards the line. I told myself not to turn around, but I could feel his gaze on me, the same way I’d feel it on me back in the office when we’d first met.
I wanted to look at him again. I wanted to see his face again, but I was afraid. This was already hard enough and prolonging it would make it even worse.
Don’t look back. Don’t look back. I repeated to myself, but then I heard my name.
“Natalie!”
I whipped my head around quickly. Drew was calling for me and I didn’t think twice about going to him. I pushed my way back out of the line and passed the TSA agent’s warning glare and ran to him, needing to get to him once more.
No words were spoken as he grabbed me, pressing his mouth against mine, kissing me desperately. Our time together started flashing through my mind: the moment our eyes met for the for the first time and when he’d first held my hand…the way our eyes would catch when neither of us would admit our feelings…when he took my hand, leading me through the crowded Tokyo night club…his open arms waiting for me as my world fell apart…when he dropped to one knee asking me to spend the rest of my life with him…the way he held me as we lost our baby. So many memories and now that was all I would have anymore. If I didn’t stop now, I’d never be able to go. I pulled back suddenly, trying to calm my breathing as I stared into his haunting green eyes for the last time and then turned quickly before I couldn’t. Tears spilled down my face as I rushed to the security line, but I brushed them away, hoping to wipe the memory of him away too, and this time I didn’t look back.
A Note from the Author
Thank you so much for reading The Heart of Tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed the next chapter in Natalie and Drew’s story. I also hope you don’t hate me too much for ending it the way I did. I won’t blame you though if you’re cursing me right now and wondering how I could end the story like this. In my books, I try and keep a sense of realism about them. Yes, they’re fiction, but I don’t want them to feel that way. I want readers to feel as if my stories could really happen and because of this, things don’t always happen the way we’d like. I think some of the best love stories are those that don’t come easily. Rest assured, I am hard at work on the final book with Drew and Natalie. It shouldn’t be long until you see how their story ends. You can keep up with updates by liking my Facebook page (Megan Nugen Isbell-Author), joining my Facebook group (Fans of Megan Nugen Isbell-Author) or checking out my blog: megannugenisbell.blogspot.com. I also love chatting with readers. I can be reached at [email protected].
I would like to thank my readers and friends who encouraged me to finish this book. It felt like it would never come together, but with their help it did. The journey into sharing my writing has been one of the scariest, but exciting things I’ve done. I truly appreciate all of you that have read my work, whether you liked it or not. Just to know you gave my work a chance means so much. If you’ve not already read my other works, I hope you’ll consider it. You can find all of my books on Amazon in eBook form and paperback:
My Tomorrow (Book One of the Tomorrow Series)
After the Sky Fell Down
Every Breaking Wave
Here With Me
The Home Series
Last Train Home
Far From Home
Carry Me Home
The Long Road Home
Finding Home
Music plays such an integral part in my writing. When I’ve got writer’s block, it’s usually a song that pulls me out of it and tells me exactly which direction the story should go. And, as always, I’ve included a playlist in case you’re curious in checking out some of the songs that inspired The Heart of Tomorrow.
I would be so appreciative if you would consider leaving a review on Goodreads or Amazon. Reviews help authors more than you may know. Again, thank you so very much for reading!
Best regards,
Megan
The Heart of Tomorrow Playlist
Photograph-Ed Sheeran
Tenerife Sea-Ed Sheeran
Possession-Sarah McLachlan
Skipping Stones-Claire DeLune
Between You and Me-Brandon Flowers
Never Get You Right-Brandon Flowers
Love Me Like You Do-Ellie Goulding
Angel-Jon Secada
Beautiful-Plumb
10. With or Without You-U2
11. Veritgo-U2
12.Never Gonna Leave This Bed-Maroon 5
13. It’s Not Right for You-The Script
14. Man on a Wire-The Script
15. Bed of Roses-Bon Jovi
16. Who Needs Air-The Classic Crime
17. Headlights-The Classic Crime
18. Home-Depeche Mode
19. In Your Room-Depeche Mode
20. Stay-Hurts
21. Demons-Imagine Dragons
22. Heart of a Girl-The Killer
23. Smile Like You Mean It-The Killers
24. Come Home-OneRepublic
25. China-Tori Amos
26. Run-Leona Lewis
27. Right Here Waiting-Richard Marx
28. I’ll Remember-Madonna
bsp; Nugen Isbell, Megan, The Heart of Tomorrow (Book Two) (The Tomorrow Series 2)
The Heart of Tomorrow (Book Two) (The Tomorrow Series 2) Page 29