Finding Love After Leaving Him

the man who became my guardian after my par

, a woman who looked uncannily like a younger vers

sing me. She tore out the rose garden I had spent years t

o kill a major brand deal I h

online. He refused to defend my name. He told me to just disappe

er," he said. "Sh

rotect me, now offering to pay for my silence. I

This time, I wasn't running away. I w

pte

iting for hi

e window of her aunt' s co

givi

aced a mug of steami

etie. He was never th

xpression a mix of

you at arm's length after you tell him you l

. It was from her eighteenth birthday. Autry Villarreal stood beside her, his arm

mentioned the confession, but he also never saw her wear the

t every day fo

ears of

through the polite, distant wal

y responsible for a fourteen-year-old girl. He had been her savior, her w

e the ne

ial media feed. 'Tech Mogul Autry Villarreal Announc

uncannily like a younger, more innocent version of Jayme. He was smi

texted him, over and over. Each call went to voicemail. Each text w

eart was a hollow ache in her che

she fell asleep on the couch. After she told him how she felt, the easy affection stopped. He was still her guardian, providing for her every need, but the warmt

nclasped the silver locket, and dropped it inside. Then she took out every piece of clothing he

r, he was coming in. He looked tired, h

bag. "Wha

ings," Jayme said

e same dark eyes that used to hold so mu

wasn' t an apology. It was a s

d. "Congratulations

s expression unrea

le. She realized with a sudden, painful clarity that all

to the small villa in Provence her parents had left her. She packed

living room, she saw him on the phon

tones. She likes pink." A pause. "Cassie will be moving

in the hallw

he thought she saw a flicker of something, maybe regre

he stated, his voi

smile. "I heard

uldn't break any further, splin

booked a one-way

ght, this time, I'm really