“Do you think I didn’t know what I was giving up when I let you go? I’ve been brave, Easton. Brave enough to face and endure the pain and the knowledge that I lost the thing with you that made me feel the most alive. I’ve braved every day knowing I should never have let you drive away that night without telling you that I love you, that I’m sorry, and that I wish I would have done so many things differently. And I’ll regret it tomorrow, the day after, and after that for the rest of my fucking life—that’s bravery!”
Holly harshly whispers my name from beside me, tugging on my arm before I rip it free. Twin tears spill from my eyes which remain bolted on Easton.
“Inappropriate would be confessing I never slept with that quarterback because you were the last man to touch me intimately and are the only man I’ll ever want to again…because despite everything that’s happened, I’ve remained faithful!”
Easton’s eyes widen slightly as I smack the table and lean forward.
“So, you can keep on pretending that it’s no longer there between us, but you and I both know the love we feel—that we’ve always felt—isn’t going anywhere. As you’ve said all along, our parents’ story isn’t ours. But in one major way it is—because like theirs, our love is timeless,” my voice cracks on that truth because it’s the hardest to bear. “So, if you want my silence, you’re going to have to earn it with your first lie to me and tell me that I’ve got it all wrong.”
Unbearably thick tension brews as silence hangs in the air until a muffled cry cuts through it. Easton’s eyes hold me hostage as Misty races toward the building, a hand clamped over her mouth.
“Oh, look,” I jerk my head in her direction, and Easton’s guilt-ridden eyes follow. “There goes another casualty of Easton’s brutal honesty policy. I just hurt her with it. Is that selfish enough for you?”
Easton lowers his eyes, a curse leaving him as he cups his jaw.
“Natalie, you’re making a scene,” Damon hisses next to me as I palm the table to keep myself upright.
“Oh, but he deserves it,” I rasp out with sincerity as Easton’s eyes slam back into mine, a thousand emotions running through them as I allow him to see every crack in my exterior. “He deserves it, Damon, because he deserves a woman who’s just as protective of him and of his heart. A woman who will fight just as hard for him as he did for her.” My tears blind me briefly before I blink them free to see Easton devouring every word of the revelations pouring freely from my lips. I choke on a sob before I go completely blind to my surroundings. “I’m so sorry,” I croak. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like anything less to me than my supernova…and you should know the only thing I’ve ever despised about you, Elliot Easton Crowne, is your last fucking name.”
“That’s enough, Nat!” Damon hooks his arm around my waist in an attempt to drag me away.
Overcome with emotion, I turn and crumble in Damon’s arms. He sweeps me firmly into his grip as I bury my head into his neck, sobbing while he carries me away. Within seconds, I’m whisked into the SUV as Damon barks at the driver to go. Cradled in his hold, I unleash my hurt as we speed away while Damon begs me to forgive him.
Always Been You
Jessie Murph
Natalie
Sitting at the edge of the surf wrapped in Easton’s jacket, I watch the violet sky darken further, giving way to the moon’s beam as it begins to light up the water. All too tempted to flee after the spectacle I made, I only retreated to gather myself together. Though mortified by what I did, I’m finding it hard to regret it, and I refuse to back down now. I hadn’t planned on having that fight with him the way it happened, but some part of me knew I was already gloving up this morning.
The way I knew I would seek him out when I left Mexico, face to face, and finally come clean with him about everything I didn’t the night he divorced me. No matter what happens, I’m not hiding my hurts, my feelings, or my own needs anymore. Sometimes saving face while displaying quiet strength isn’t worth the cost.
I might hate hindsight for the bitch she is, but I have her to thank for giving me clarity on exactly what my worst crimes are when it comes to my ex-husband.
It isn’t the promises we’ve broken but the vows we both failed to uphold. Patience, kindness, understanding, protection, preservation, all of them. They’re the chosen vows countless others have spoken in ceremony for good reason. I didn’t fully comprehend how keeping them close could have kept us united, nor did I understand the importance of each one of them, until we fell apart.