Chapter 53

I gulped down over half the glass. “He left Chiverton a while ago.”

“Hmm?” Lena sat cross-legged across from me, her face curious.

“I turned him down, so he left. Apparently, he had work to do,” I said, making Lena pause.

“He left? Didn’t he try harder?” Lena shook her head. “This guy lacks persistence.”

“He knows when to back off; he’s not the clingy type,” I said, thinking about Hayden’s rugged and sturdy demeanor.

Lena tilted her head, looking at me. “If he had tried a bit harder, would you have—”

“No,” I cut her off. “I won’t use one person to heal the wounds another man caused.”

No one can easily replace Jace, Lena concluded.

I gave a faint smile. “Jace agreed to break up with me.”

Lena was stunned.

I put down my glass. “I’m just here to shower and change before heading to the Johnstons. I need to clear things up with Matthew and Lindey. Jace and I… we’re done.”

As I said it, I lowered my head. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to let go, or that I felt relieved. It was just this indescribable feeling. Ten years. I’m letting go of not just Jace, but my youth and all my beautiful hopes and dreams about love.

Sensing my mood, Lena stretched out her long leg and nudged my foot. “Let it go. Out with the old, in with the new.”

I laughed. “Yeah, out with the old, in with the new.”

As I said this, I stood up. “I’m going to take a shower.”

In the bathroom, I turned on the faucet. The water sprayed down, and I closed my eyes. The water flowed down my hair, across my forehead, and over my eyes…

When I arrived at the Johnston residence, it was just after lunch. Lindey was tending to her flowers. As soon as she saw me, she dropped her shears. “Rea, you’re back! I’ve missed you so much. You had your phone off; you worried me to death.”

Lindey grabbed my hand, looking both angry and happy.

“I’m sorry for worrying you. I heard you were sick,” I said.

“It’s nothing, not your fault,” Lindey said, pulling me to the couch and pushing some fruit at me.

I picked up a grape and popped it into my mouth. “Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, seeing you makes everything better,” Lindey said, still holding my hand.

Her smiling face made it hard for me to say what I needed to say. But I knew I couldn’t avoid it forever.

I asked, “Where’s Matthew? Is he home?”

“He’s in the study,” Lindey replied, then called out, “Matthew, come out. Rea’s back.”

With each word she said, the pressure on me grew. I had a feeling she knew why I was here and was trying to avoid it.

Matthew, wearing his reading glasses, came out of the study. He took them off when he saw me and asked, “Have you eaten? If not, your mom can make something for you. She always keeps food ready for you.”

Before I left, Matthew had me start calling Lindey “Mom.” Now, even though he knew Jace and I weren’t getting married, he still insisted on it, making everything feel even more intense.

Lindey was about to get up to cook, but I stopped her. I knew my next words would hurt them. But it was better to face this now rather than drag it out and make everyone more anxious.

I took a deep breath and spoke as Matthew sat down. “Lindey, Matthew, I’m here to talk about Jace and me.”