Take the Chance (Top Shelf Romance #9) - Brittainy Cherry Page 0,299

I’d never thought about it that way. In my mind, I’d stopped going because it was too painful to talk about my feelings anymore. Was Steph right? Had I let myself off the hook? Was quitting therapy just another way I’d sabotaged my recovery?

You know I’m right. Next, you need to clean out that cabin. Give my clothes away. Throw out my junk. Take my pictures off the damn wall. Better yet, move out. It’s all just part of the prison you created for yourself, and you know what? It’s imprisoning me, too.

It felt like a punch in the gut. “What?”

You heard me. You have to let me go, Jack.

Gooseflesh rippled down my arms. The back of my neck prickled. “But I—”

No backtalk, you. If you loved me—

“You know I did. More than anyone. You were the love of my life, Steph.”

I was the love of the life you had then, Jack. I was your first love…but I’m not your last.

The breeze rustled through some nearby trees while I let her words sink in and dissolve the final doubts inside me. She was setting me free, and I had to do the same for her. A weight was lifted. “You’re right.”

Of course I am. Now I have one more request: Call that woman and take her out for dinner. Poor thing is probably tied in knots wondering what the hell is going on in that thick skull of yours. You tell her I understand. You drove me crazy, too.

“I’m sorry, Steph. For everything.”

I know you are, Jack. I forgive you. You ready to do this?

I nodded. “I think so. I can’t say I’m not scared, but I think I know what I have to do.”

Good. Go live the life you were meant to. You’ve got a lot of love to give, Jack Valentini. Don’t you forget it.

“OK,” I whispered, a shiver working its way through my body. “And Steph…thank you. You’re an angel.”

I listened for a response, but she was gone. I felt her absence as strongly as I’d felt her presence just moments ago. Somehow I knew she wouldn’t be back.

I kissed my fingertips, touched the top of the stone, and said goodbye.

Later that night, I stood in my bedroom and looked around. It looked the same as it did every other night, but it felt different. For the first time, I recognized it as what Steph had called it—a prison. Steph was so present here—her clothing in the closet, her books on the shelves, her shampoo in the shower, our photos on the wall. But it wasn’t entirely in memory of her; it was punishment. A lifetime sentence of solitary confinement.

Yet I’d brought Margot here. Kissed her. Touched her. And when she’d offered to stop, I’d been the one to press on. I’d wanted her more than I’d wanted to preserve the sanctity of this space.

Would she forgive me? Would she still want the chance she’d asked for? I pictured her, and something in my stomach went weightless. I wanted to be happy again. For the first time in years, I felt like it was possible.

I glanced down at my left hand, where my wedding band still circled my finger. Slowly, I twisted it off, looked at it for a moment, then placed it in my nightstand drawer. I was slightly sick to my stomach for a moment, but after a few deep breaths, I was OK again.

It was time.

Over the next week, I made four important phone calls. One to my therapist, who was glad to hear from me, and scheduled an appointment for me within days. The second call was to Georgia, who said she would be happy to help me sort through and remove Steph’s things from the cabin. The third call went to Suzanne Reischling’s voicemail. I left a message saying I was finally cleaning out the cabin and told her to call me if she wanted to come by one night this week and see if there was anything she wanted. And the fourth call was to Brad—I wanted to sit down with him and see if there was anything I could do to help Pete and Georgia buy that house.

It made the most sense for me to buy them out and live there, especially since I was planning on moving out of the cabin anyway—too many memories there, and I was serious about moving on—and I wanted to have a place I was comfortable inviting Margot to.

Brad said he’d be glad to