Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 39424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
She pulls back from me, tilts her head back, and looks up at me. “Promise.”
When I get lost in her eyes, she demands again, “Promise me, Elias. Promise that you’ll come back.”
I can’t deny her anything. “I promise.”
The relief on her face is obvious, and she finally smiles at me before bringing me in for another hug. “Thank you.”
Fuck, I feel awful. I hurt her in the worst way possible, and she’s thanking me for the fact that I told her I’d come back to her. I may not be able to be what she needs, but I can still try to make things right by her. I squeeze her, trying to commit the feel of her to memory before I step back. “I should go.”
She doesn’t want me to leave. Fuck, I don’t want to go, but I know if I stay here, I’m going to do something she’ll probably regret. I put my hand to her cheek, and even though I want to kiss her, I don’t. “Bye, Chloe. Take care of yourself while I’m gone. If the asshole messes with you, let me know.”
She interrupts me. “But I don’t know how to get ahold of you.”
My stomach does a little flip because I should keep her at a distance instead of letting her in. “I have the same number.”
Her mouth falls open, and she stares at me in shock. “The same number? The one from five years ago?”
I nod and croak, “Yeah.”
“So… that means all the calls I made to you… all the texts, begging you to text me back… you saw them?”
“My phone was destroyed, and it was months before I was out of the hospital and got a new one. No messages transferred to my new one.”
She bites onto her lip and nods her head. “Yeah, right, sorry.”
I put my thumb on her chin. “Please don’t tell me you’re sorry. I’m the one that is sorry.”
She looks as if she’s holding back tears, and it guts me to know I’m already hurting her again. I release her and step back. “Bye, Chloe. If you need me, text me or call me.”
She nods her head. “Okay, right, be safe, Elias.”
I turn to go, and she calls out to me, “Elias!”
I stop and look at her. She doesn’t say anything, but I know exactly what’s on her mind. Five years ago, I promised I’d come back to her, and I let her down. I can’t do that again. “I promise, Chloe. I’ll be back in a week. If it’s going to be longer, I’ll let you know.”
She sucks in a deep breath and nods her head. “Okay.”
I turn to go then without turning back because walking away from her is hard to do.
CHAPTER 11
CHLOE
I watch him go until he turns a corner and I can’t see him anymore.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and scroll to my photos until I find the album I’m looking for. It has no words for a title, only a broken heart emoji.
I click on it and scroll all the way to the top so I can read the messages. Maybe I was crazy to save the screenshots, but at the time, I wanted to save them to remind myself to never let myself trust so freely again.
I barely remember those months after Elias left. I was alive… but it didn’t feel like it.
I start to read, and with each text I read, my heart cracks a little more. I can feel the heartache and despair in the messages and now, knowing he never read them, well, I’m not sure how that makes me feel. Relieved, maybe. Because surely, if he had read them he would have responded.
I read through the messages, and it takes me back to that time and how I felt.
Hey! It’s me, Chloe. I am just checking on you.
Two days later, I wrote, I hope you’re okay. Text me when you can.
Hey Elias. I’m thinking you’re somewhere with really bad service. If you get this, please let me know you’re okay.
For weeks, it’s the same thing over and over, text after text of me asking him to call me or text me. It’s not until about a month after he’d left that my texts get more desperate.
I was a fool. I should have known you were too good to be true.
If you wanted a one night stand, you should have just told me. You were there that night. You knew I wanted you. I wouldn’t have said no.
Why? Can you just tell me why?
And then the last text I sent him.
It’s crazy to think that you can fall in love in one night but I did. I want to regret what happened between us but I can’t. Even after all this time, that night with you meant something to me but I have to try and move on. I’m not going to text you anymore. I hope you’re safe. Take care.