Page 69 of Your Love

My heart clenches at her words, memories flooding back of our time together and the love we shared. “I will always care for him, but I don’t understand what you’re asking of me here.”

“You need to go to him,” she insists. “Tell him how you truly feel. You owe it to yourselves to at least try and fight for your relationship.”

“You want me to show up in Hawaii like a lunatic?” I exclaim, my voice rising in disbelief. The thought of flying across the country to confront my ex-boyfriend on a tropical island seemed absurd. “Why can’t I just talk to him now?”

Paisley sighs, her brown eyes filled with concern. “Because they already left this morning. Of course, it was Lauren’s idea to leave early, but the ceremony isn’t until Saturday.”

I rub my temples, trying to process everything she’s told me.

“Kerri, I know that both of you have regrets about the past. I think you need this, even if it’s just for closure.”

I feel a twinge of pain in my chest. “But do you really think this is necessary? Going all the way to Hawaii for closure? Seems like him getting married is all the closure I need.”

“Yes, I do,” she answers confidently, her youthful voice carrying wisdom beyond her years.

I shake my head. “I can’t do that to him, Paisley. But thank you for coming by.”

She stands and opens her arms for a hug. I wrap my arms around her and breathe her scent, a reminder of a different time.

“Okay,” she says as we break apart. “But just in case you change your mind, here’s the hotel information.” She drops a note on the table beside us. “And Kerri, please don’t disappear again,” she adds with a mischievous grin.

“I promise I won’t, Pais,” I reassure her. “I’ll be here. And don’t be a stranger either.”

As she turns to leave, she looks back at me from the bottom of the steps. “Things always have a way of working out in the end,” she says with a hopeful smile. Then she lowers her gaze and waves goodbye. “See you later.”

Chapter 31

“Shattered”

Landry - Age 24, 1994

The journey to this moment has been long. Countless times, I doubted that I would ever reach this point. My heart was ripped from my chest and moon-walked over when I was nineteen years old. And here’s the thing—I let it happen. I desperately wanted to believe in something that was never meant for me. And foolishly, I convinced myself it would all come true if I just held on tight enough and waited long enough.

But when the truth finally hit me, it was like a sharp knife to the gut. I realized how naive I had been, chasing after something that would never be mine. I believed that my heart was irreparably damaged and that there would never be enough left of it to offer to someone else. So, I built walls around it, refusing to let anyone in or to love again.

With gentle determination, this woman pulled me from my shattered self. Day by day, she began to put my broken heart back together, regardless of me pushing her away time and again. I don’t think it will ever heal, but it works well enough to want to try, and that’s saying something.

Despite my friends’ and families’ concerns about this elopement, I’m happy to be moving forward in a definite, tangible way. It may not be the scene I envisioned when I was younger, but I’ve come to understand that life rarely follows a plan. However, at this moment, I’m content with my choice. I mean, I’m as content as I can be. My skin feels tight and itchy, and my heart is hammering in my chest, but that’s normal when you’re getting married. Right?

Standing here on this pristine beach, Lauren and I, hand in hand, ready to pledge our lives to one another, I think we made the right decision. The sun shines bright and warm, casting a golden glow over the ocean that stretches endlessly towards the horizon. It’s secluded and romantic—a moment carved out just for us.

Everything is great for Lauren and me, wrapped in our impenetrable bubble. But suddenly, that bubble is popped by a piece of my past. She appears like a mirage, her strawberry blonde hair whipping in the wind, and she charges toward us.

Kerri?

Am I seeing things, or is Kerri Thatcher running down the beach like a crazy person, her arms flailing wildly and her voice lost in the noise of the Hawaiian surroundings as she shouts something unintelligible? My heart races with confusion and anticipation—what could be so urgent that Kerri would interrupt my wedding day?

My gaze falls on Lauren, her typically calm expression now contorted into a fierce scowl and narrowed eyes.

Kerri calls out to me in a strained and urgent voice. “Landry, wait!”

As I turn to face her, Kerri approaches us with tears streaming down her cheeks. She looks like a shattered masterpiece; a beautiful, broken mess.

Her mascara is smudged, and her hair is untamed as she reaches out but stops short of touching me. My heart aches at the sight of her. No matter what’s happened between us, I can’t stand to witness this. Kerri has been through so much, and I’d never want to hurt her this way.

“Landry,” Kerri says with a tremor in her voice. “I’m so sorry.”

My confusion intensifies as I try to piece together what could have prompted her to come here. Lauren abruptly drops her hands from mine as if they’ve been charred by fire and takes a step away. My heart races with uncertainty—what do I do in this situation? I can’t ignore Kerri’s sudden appearance, but it’s clear that my fiancée is not happy.