Starting Over

Chapter 46- Realization

Bridget and I didn’t move the rest of the day. I cancelled our dinner plans and we just had room service early. Neither one of us wanted to do anything. We just wanted to figure how Caroline knew we were in love so long ago and who else knew other than her.

“I just don’t understand, Luke. How did Caroline know?” Bridget asked me with red, puffy eyes as we sat against the headboard of the bed staring at the wall in silence.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know either, but Bridget we did talk a lot. And we hung out all the time too,” I told her.

“But Luke, don’t think that we were in love,” Bridget stated emotionally.

“Maybe we were. Hey, did Caroline know you and me stayed in contact when we broke up?” I asked Bridget.

“No. I never told her. I think that’s the only thing I never kept from her. Well, and the trips that I made to Nashville to see you. I always told her I was going home for a few days,” Bridget said.

“You never told her?” I asked curiously, “Not even a hint that you were coming to see me?”

“No. She didn’t want me to talk to you. She was mad at you for some reason for the longest time. It was a mutual decision to break up wasn’t it?” Bridget said.

“Yeah. I was moving to Nashville and she was finishing college. We thought it would be best for both of us if we just cut our losses right then and there,” I told her, “I guess it was because she supposedly knew we were in love.”

“Luke, it’s not a joke,” Bridget stated. It was obvious she was angry with me for joking about the contents of Caroline’s letters.

“I’m sorry, but seriously babe, don’t you find it kind of ironic that she knew and still agreed to marry me?” I asked my lovely wife.

“That is what puzzles me more than anything. I just don’t understand how you can be in love with someone, but know that he’s in love with your best friend and she’s in love with him, but still marry him anyway. How could you do that to either of them. If I thought for one second you were in love with Brit and she was in love with you, well, I would have never married you. Never agreed to either. I would have pushed for you to both be together,” Bridget explained, “I just can’t understand how you know that your husband or boyfriend or whatever is in love with your best friend and still marry him knowing he would eventually leave. I just don’t get it. I thought I knew everything about Caroline, but I tell you right now, I’m doubting that I ever really knew her.”

“Calm down, Bridge. You don’t need to be upset. I really don’t want to have to cut our honeymoon short because you have an anxiety attack,” I told her knowing she was getting really worked up over this.

“But Luke, how can you not be upset? She knew you were in love with me and not her, but still married you. She still started a family and the entire time knew you wouldn’t ever truly be happy with her!” Bridget told me.

“Bridget, I am upset. I don’t see how she could let either of us make the mistake of getting married, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. That marriage gave us Bo and Tate. Could you really imagine life without them in it? She gave them to us. They wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Caroline. There’s no reason to let it get the best of you. You are flying off the handle, Bridget and it’s not good for you or the babies. Caroline wouldn’t want this,” I explained to her.

“At this point I don’t care what Caroline would or wouldn’t want. She’s not here, Luke. She’s gone. This is about us now,” Bridget shouted completely changing the subject.

“What has this got to do with us?” I asked her confused.

“Can you honestly say that you didn’t know you were in love with me a long time ago?” Bridget questioned me.