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They were expecting me. And if Wyatt’s call to me now was any indication of where their mindsets were when it came to my promise to meet them at the restaurant, I probably should have left the letter exactly where it was until I returned.

I didn’t know what she’d written inside, but it was likely going to break me. Despite knowing that, I slid my finger along the flap to open it.

Dear Liam,

I’m sorry I haven’t reached out to you before now. I’ve sat down on a few occasions to write to you, but I can’t seem to pick up the pen.

But I had to do it today. I didn’t want you to think that you aren’t always on my mind, that I’m not thinking of you all the time and dreaming constantlyof the day I can be back in your arms.

I miss you, Liam.

I love you dearly.

And I hope, more than anything else, that you’re happy today. I hope something makes you smile, even if it’s just the delicious treat that I’m sure Jules is going to bake for you.

Happy birthday, Captain.

All my love,

Layla

I readthe letter three times, several words smearing beneath the tears that fell. I’d gone from desperately wanting this letter to arrive to wishing it never came.

Did she understand what she was doing to me?

Did she know how badly it destroyed me to get this instead of what I really wanted, which was her back here with me?

Was she purposely trying to punish me for something?

If only I’d had some answers, some explanation, as to why she left, maybe this wouldn’t have hurt so badly.

I walked into the bedroom, opened the nightstand, and pulled out Layla’s first letter. Then I sat down and read it again. I didn’t know why. It wasn’t like Ihadn’t already memorized it, that I didn’t remember every word she’d written.

After kicking off my shoes, I swung my legs onto the bed and dropped my head on the pillow, reading Layla’s new letter over and over.

It wasn’t until the knock came at my door that I realized how distracted I was. Though it was muffled through the door, Ivy’s voice carried through the room to me. “Liam? Is everything okay?”

Still clutching the letter in my hands, I got up and moved to the door.

Ivy took one look at me, and with her phone up to her ear, she said, “Oh, no. Give me five minutes. I’ll call you back.”

My older sister didn’t wait for whoever was on the other end of the call to respond. She disconnected the call and guessed, “You heard from her.”

I held the letter up between us. “My very own birthday card.”

She could hear the sarcasm dripping from every word. “I’m sorry, Liam. Did she… Do you know?—”

“She didn’t tell me anything beyond wanting to let me know that she’s thinking of me all the time.”

“Do you believe her?”

I shrugged. “It’s kind of hard to do that when she hasn’t offered any explanations. If she truly missed me, she’d just come home.”

“I hate this for you. I wish there was something I could do.”

Seeing the sad look on her face and hearing the helplessness in her voice, I was suddenly furious.

My family had gone out of their way over these last few months to support me through this awful situation. All they wanted was to celebrate my birthday with me tonight.