Page 167

“I’ve got too many plants for me to take a break.”
“I can see that now, but I was waiting for a text all day. Did something happen while you were gone?”
“Nothing bad,” I said. “Let me go wash my hands.”
I took my time getting the dirt out from under my nails while trying to figure out what to say.
“So, what did my mom and Isra say?” he asked while I dried my hands. “I can have a talk with them if they upset you.”
“No need. They were great.”
“But something’s bothering you. What is it?”
I could have spent forever delaying, but I needed to know, and I’d put it off long enough.
“Something was mentioned in the car . . . about you never settling down because you were waiting on one woman.” I lifted a shoulder. “It made me do a lot of thinking.”
His eyes widened. “Oh.”
He looked down, but I could see guilt in every inch of him. My heart ached in response.
“On our honeymoon, I did see something. A lot of messages, actually. Was it her? Is that why you didn’t want me to see it?”
“Amy, it’s not what you think.”
“It’s a yes or no question, Levi. I can handle either answer.”
“Yes.”
I gave one jerky nod. Inside, my heart was crushed.
“Can I explain now?” His voice was gentle, and I knew that this meant bad news.
Could I handle the explanation?
I knew that this had to be how Gram felt when her heart was broken, only this was nowhere near what she went through. How did she pick up and carry on? How did she continue to be kind with all of this pain weighing her down?
“Amy,” Levi’s voice cut through my thoughts. “I know you’re thinking the worst right now, and it’s not that.”
“How can it not be bad? You have someone else?—”
“There is no one else.” His voice was firm. “Let’s be clear about that.”
“But you just said there was.”
“There. Is. No. One. Else. This is a misunderstanding.”
“What am I misunderstanding?”
“It was you, Amy. It was always you.”
“It can’t be me.”
“And that’s where you’re wrong.”
“Well, you couldn’t be waiting for me. What about when you were out late drinking?”
“Mr. Buford introduced himself to me. I was with him.”