Tattered Souls

Chapter 39:Memories

Sam

My jaw drops as her words replay over and over in my ears.

I look down at her as she gently brushes her thumb across my cheek.

A few weeks ago, looking at me this way would have made me weak in the knees.

Right now, I don't know what to feel.

I love her with every ounce of my heart that I have left.

She was my reason for getting up every morning, my light.

She was everything to me and within a split moment it all vanished.

I was empty.

I gently move a strand of hair from her face causing a slight blush to form on her cheeks.

I want to believe her, god knows I do, but I can't go through that again.

That pain. That darkness.

It almost consumed me.

I would have lost myself entirely if Ashley hadn't come along.

She pulled me out of the rubble that I chose to lay in as I watched fragments of my heart drift farther away the closer it got to the wedding.

I'm supposed to fill in as the best man even though I'm a woman.

Jason doesn't care that I'm a female , he just wants me there by his side because we've been like brother and sister for years.

We even talked about it at one point because he's always known he was going to marry her.

It was just the question of when.

I reach over and grab the ring off the counter before gently removing her hand from my cheek and placing the ring in it.

She looks at the ring, then back at me confused as I look into her eyes. "You already are home."

Her jaw drops and I see the desperation form within her eyes.

"Sam baby wait!" I gently kiss the top of her head and grab my coat.

"Please don't go...I'm serious, I want to be with you." I put on my coat and grab the doorknob.

I sigh looking away from her. "I know this is what you want, but I needed you,Paige . You don't need me."

With that I open the door and storm out to my car before she has a chance to say anything.

Once inside, I drive off as fast as I can not even looking towards the house once ,fearing that her gaze would pull me back.

When I finally get home,happy runs up and greets me as soon as I walk in the door. "Hey little guy, you miss me?"

He hops on my legs so I pick him up only to receive a barrages of licks and nuzzles from him.

"Geez dude, I wasn't gone that long." I laugh before giving him a treat for not messing up the house.

Once I set him down, he prances off to his bed so he can enjoy his snack comfortably.

I shake my head and grab a beer before plopping on the couch.

I lean back and sigh thinking about what just happened.

That's what?

the third time she's confessed to me?

And each time I fall for it and get hurt worse every time.