“When did you change into this?” I say, shaking my head sadly.

“When I married a man who didn’t really love me.”

I’m sad for that, because maybe she’s right. Maybe it was a marriage that should have never happened. We were young and crazy and lusty. But were we ever truly in love? I turn and walk to the kitchen, pulling out my checkbook. I write her out a check and hand it to her.

“Before I hand this to you, I want to know one thing. What did you say to Avery?”

She crosses her arms. “I told her I wasn’t sick. I told her if she didn’t leave I’d take Macy from you. The little bitch had no place here. None.”

My heart thumps with rage and I thrust the check towards her.

“Take it and leave. Don’t try and take Macy from me or I’ll make you pay, Lena. You clean yourself up, you make something of yourself, then you can come back and you can see her when you want, but I won’t lose her. I don’t trust you, and I don’t want my daughter’s life at risk.”

She tucks the check into her pocket. “Fine by me.”

“Pack your shit and leave. I’m taking Macy and when I come back, I want you gone.”

“Do I at least get to say goodbye?”

I nod and watch her disappear into Macy’s room. Breaks my fuckin’ heart when my daughter walks out, tears in her little eyes as she watches her momma pack a bag, not even shedding a tear for her little girl. She turns to me when she gets to the door. She blows a kiss to Macy, saying, “Momma will call you every day.”

Then she turns to me and mutters, “You know, I might actually thank you for this one day?”

I won’t hold my breath.

CHAPTER 36

NATE

Another month later.

“Where is she?” I demand, glaring at Kelly.

“I’m not telling you, Nate. She’s moved on and she doesn’t need any more drama in her life.”

“That ain’t your choice to make. Now tell me where the fuck she is.”

“She’s moved on,” he barks. “She’s found someone else, Nate.”

My world spins and I take a shaky step back. I’ve spent the last month clearing up shit with Lena and working out a comfortable routine for Macy and I. I’ve ended things properly and set myself up, ready for Avery. There was never a second I wasn’t going to come back for her. Now I have, only to hear she’s found someone else.

“You’re lying,” I growl. “She loved me, Kelly.”

“She lusted after you; she didn’t love you. She’s moved on, she’s seeing another man and staying longer. Move on, Nate. It was never right.”

“Don’t you tell me what was right,” I roar, lunging forward and slamming him against the wall. “You will never know.”

“Leave,” he grinds out. “And get your fuckin’ hands off me.”

I spin around and charge off, my world falling to pieces around me.

~*~*~*~

AVERY

It’s been two months and I’m finally home. The moment I step through my front door, I sigh with relief. It was the best choice I could have made, leaving. It gave me the chance to breathe a little. I found myself, picked up my spirits and came back ready to start again. And I will—fresh, and right from the top.

I walk straight over to my answering machine and see I’ve got more than twenty messages. I got myself a cell phone to take away that only Liam and Kelly had the number to. To step away, I had to do it properly; I had to disconnect, to avoid any temptation of calling the wrong person. I reach down and click play, and the first message that comes up is from Jacob.

“Your father wants to see you. Go and see him, Avery.”

Like hell.

I click the next.

“Av,” a croaky voice. Nate. My heart stops. “It’s me. Where are you? I left Lena.”

My heart stops beating. He left Lena? He left . . . Lena?

I press the next one.

“Where have you gone? Why won’t you answer my calls? Fuck, Avery, pick up. I need to hear your voice.”

Oh, God.

“Avery, tell me where the fuck you are. Please.”

My knees wobble.

“How could you? How could you just move on? I just spoke to Kelly. He told me everything. Fuck you, Avery. I loved you, do you fucking hear me? Fuck you.”

What?

I listen to the rest of the messages, but that one sticks in my mind. He thinks I moved on? Kelly told him I moved on? My blood boils as I pick up my phone and dial Kelly’s number.

“Avery, you’re back?”

“What did you say to him, Kelly?”

He sighs. “Avery, you have to understand I was protecting you.”

“Tell me what you said?” I cry.

“I told him you moved on,” he admits. “I told him you never loved him.”

Oh, no.

“How could you?” I breathe.

“He came back for you, thinking that everything he did could be forgiven. He isn’t right for you, Av, you couldn’t have dealt with it.”

“That wasn’t your choice to make,” I yell. “It was mine, Kelly.”

I hang up the phone and quickly dial Nate’s number.

He came back for me.

Oh God, he came back for me.

“This number has been disconnected.”

No.

No.

I turn and grab my purse, rushing out the door. I get into my car and start it, and it splutters a few times before rumbling to life. I reverse out onto the street and then head towards Nate’s house. When I arrive, I leap out and run up to the front door. I pound on it, over and over and over. No one answers.