Sixty-One Letters

Short Story. Complete.

"I didn't have an affair with anyone, Caroline." His voice was much calmer now, although it was forced. "I'm not that kind of guy."

"Well apparently you are the kind of guy who would marry someone while still writing sick love letters to someone else. God, how many are even in here? I lost track after number 17...it's sickening! Like seriously, Grayson! Did you even do anything but write letter after letter after lette-"

"Sixty," He interrupted. Caroline snapped her mouth shut, blinked, and stared at her brother. At her silence, Grayson swallowed and started again. "I wrote sixty letters over the course of seven years. I wrote the first one -which you read- the night after my wedding and then...I wrote 59 more scattered throughout the years."

"But why would you wri-"

"Because I love her, Caroline," Grayson snapped. "I love Scarlett and I've loved her for the past ten years and I spent the past seven years married to a woman who died without having a proper husband who really, truly only wanted her."