Page 91 of Wild Abandon

His wife. How old could she be? My age? So young and living in a long-term care facility?

“Do you believe bad things happen for a reason?”

What kind of awful event could have taken away a young woman’s ability to live on her own?

“Only the good die young.”

But she’s not dead. She’s very much alive, as proven by the way he is stroking her hair and kissing her knuckles.

“I’m here. I’m here now. I’m here. And I’m sorry. So sorry. I should have been here. It was my day. I wasn’t here for you. Did you know I wasn’t here? Do you know me? It’s Nate. I’m here. I will always be here. I won’t ever leave you alone again.” His breath is ragged, like he’s trying to talk through the tears. “Open your eyes. Wake up for me. Tell me you know me. Tell me you’re there. I can’t believe I…” His head falls to the bed. The last words are muffled as he says, “I’m so sorry.”

He raises her hand up into his praying hands. And that’s when I see it. An infinity tattoo on the inside of her left wrist.

A symbol of love.

True love.

A symbol of forever.

Their forever.

I take a trebled breath myself and quell the emotions building in my throat.

I have to get out of here.

I walk through the corridor and out the doors, through the lobby and out the front.

I can’t wait for Nate. I can’t go back to the hotel. I need to go home. And I need my friend.

I take out my phone and call Naomi.

She says she’ll be here in an hour. I tell her I’ll be in the coffee shop across the street.

“Hang tight.”

So, I hang.

I sit tight, at a stool, looking out the front window at the beige building where a woman is spending her days and the man who promised to love her forever sits by her side.

“Let’s just say I’m paying my dues.”

How cruel. To fall in love and promise forever. Who knew forever was going to be torture?

Head in hand, I cry.

I cry for Nate. I cry for his wife.

And I cry for me.

Because I am madly in love with someone who promised forever to someone else.

chapter NINETEEN

“Take these.” Naomi hands me two Advil and a glass of water.

I don’t have a headache, but for the amount I cried today, I’m sure to be hurting tomorrow.

I swallow the pills and put the glass down. I don’t think I can cry anymore.