Page 50 of I Choose You (Wilder #2)

Reid

I couldn’t believe she was gone. She really just… left.

I told her I loved her. I asked her to stay. But she was really gone.

Laughter and music filtered through me, barely even registering in my brain. I stood back from everyone, keeping myself tucked into the back of Wyatt and Maeve’s yard while everyone else fluttered around for Jane’s birthday.

Balloons were tied to the picnic tables. The scent of grilled meat and fresh-cut grass filled the air. Family and friends were all gathered together to celebrate one of my favorite people on the planet. But here I was, fucking miserable.

I had tried to put on a positive face earlier.

I had been trying all week. But every day that went by that I didn’t even hear from her was pulling me deeper and deeper into a pit of my own despair.

The worst part is that I did it to myself.

She warned me not to fall in love with her.

She told me she was only here temporarily.

None of that was news to me. But I went and fell head over heels for her anyway.

I couldn’t stop myself even if I tried .

I clocked Luke making his way over to me at the same time Wyatt started coming my way from the other side of the yard. Did I look like I was in the mood for company? No.

Wyatt handed me a can of Coke. I eyed it, willing it to be a beer—or maybe a bottle of Jack.

“You got anything stronger?”

“Nope. It’s a fucking baby’s birthday party. We didn’t exactly break out the hard liquor.”

“I’m not in the fucking mood, Wyatt.”

My heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces less than a week ago. Every day that went by without seeing her smile light up the room or hearing her raw, joyous laugh made the pain that much stronger.

I was devastated when Kayleigh and I broke up. But that feeling was nothing compared to the deep sense of loss I felt at losing Claire.

“Stop sulking at your niece’s birthday party,” Luke said. “Put a smile on your face and just pretend for one afternoon. We know you’re hurt that she’s gone. But she was only here temporarily to work on the Delano Library project. You knew she wasn’t here for the long term.”

My fiery stare blazed a hole through Luke’s skull.

Like I didn’t already know that this was how this was going to play out.

Like it should make it hurt less. “Fuck off, Luke. Just because your marriage is shit doesn’t mean we can all ‘just pretend,’” I spat out.

“Go find your wife and be miserable with her. Just leave me alone.”

“Watch yourself,” Wyatt said, his hard gaze snapping to mine.

“Fuck you.” Luke walked away.

I tipped my head back, a deep breath filling my lungs. I rubbed my hand through the rough scruff on my face.

“What?” I snapped to Wyatt.

Shit. I was right back to where I was nine months ago. Miserable and taking it out on everyone around me. “Sorry. I know. I’ll apologize to him.”

“That was pretty out of line, but that’s not what I was going to talk to you about.” He tipped his Coke back, taking a quick sip. “I know it’s probably not the best time for you, but I’m going to propose to Maeve today. Here, at the party.”

He was the happiest I had ever known him. A smile stretched across my face. I was genuinely happy for him.

“No fucking way, brother. That’s awesome. It’s about damn time,” I told him, clapping him on the shoulder.

He chuckled, but his eyes were on Maeve, tracking her through the backyard.

“You good?” he asked.

“No,” I told him. “But this is my problem. You, on the other hand, have a beautiful lady making eyes at you from across the lawn. Go be happy, man. And congratulations.”

He left me to my solitude by the back fence and greeted his soon-to-be fiancée.

After the cake was served, Jane crying through the entire Happy Birthday song, Wyatt popped the question. She said yes before he had a chance to finish his speech. They were meant for each other through and through, and I was glad that Wyatt had found that.

I was pretty sure I had found that too. She just didn’t think the same.

I pulled Luke aside and apologized before ducking out after the congratulations and the cake. I needed to be alone right now, and the last thing Wyatt and Maeve needed was me bringing down their blissful mood.

Thoughts kept spinning in my head all night, a plan forming in the wee hours of the morning. Maybe it was the lack of sleep I had been getting, or maybe it was my Claire-obsessed brain trying to rationalize this, but I suddenly knew exactly what I needed to do.

When the sun finally rose, my mind was already made up.

I spent all day Sunday talking myself into and out of my plan.

I had a job on the schedule today, and I wouldn’t back out on him.

Mr. Tutino was well into his eighties. He had hired me to repair some siding on the back of his house and replace his exterior door.

It was an easy gig that I could have handed off to my crew, but I had assured him that I would personally do it, and I was a man of my word.

The job was just as easy as I had hoped, which worked out well, considering I was barely focused.

I helped Mr. Tutino put away his groceries before I headed home.

Dinner consisted of a turkey sandwich and a handful of chips.

As long as it was quick and easy, it was good enough for me.

After I took a shower and cleaned myself up, I sat on the edge of my bed, my phone in my hand.

This was the right call. I didn’t have a choice anymore.

“Hey, Reid. How’s things going?” my father greeted me.

“Hey, Dad. I wanted you to know, I’m, uh, I’m going to Connecticut. I’m going to Claire.”

“Good for you, son. I know how much you care for her, and I can see it in her eyes that she feels the same.”

“Thanks, Dad. But I don’t mean that I’m going to get her and bring her back. Her life is there. Her family, her career. I can’t expect her to drop everything and move here.”

There was a beat of silence; the only sound was my heart beating. I hadn’t said my plan out loud. It was probably crazy, but I didn’t care.

“I know what you meant. As much as I would love for you and Claire to stay in Calla Bay, make your home here, I understand that isn’t always the case.

I had to let Lydia go to New York and live her life out there.

If you are in Connecticut, I’ll have to be okay with that too.

Let your life lead you to new experiences, Reid.

Even if that means building your life away from home. ”

“Thanks, Dad. Love you.”

“Love you too. Go get her.”

With that call done, I texted the group chat to fill in the guys.

Me: I’m going to CT.

Seb: Go bring back your girl, you grumpy bastard.

Luke: How long are you gone for?

Me: Permanently, I guess.

Wyatt: WTF. And you tell us you’re moving to another state via text?

Me: It’s only four hours away. I’ll come back to visit.

Luke: What about your house? What about your business?

Me: I’m going to sell. I’ll figure it out.

Me: I can’t just let her go. I can’t lose her.

Wes: Let the man go and be with his love.

Me: Thank you, Wes.

I closed out of the text chain and started packing, throwing a bunch of shit in a bag. I would worry about the rest later.

The sun was already setting. It would make more sense to wait until tomorrow rather than to show up at her parents’ estate in the middle of the night, but now that I had made my decision, I couldn’t wait a moment longer .

I called Richie from my truck’s Bluetooth and asked him to take the lead on tomorrow’s work.

I had a couple of smaller jobs on the schedule that I had put off during the Delano Library project, but my crew was more than capable of handling them without me.

It crossed my mind to see if maybe they would want to go in together to buy out the business.

Thoughts swirled through my head as I tried to think of all the things that I would need to do now.

First thing on the agenda was to find a place for Claire and me in Connecticut.

She would still be with her parents, I assumed.

That was where I was headed anyway. Should I text her?

What if she wasn’t staying there? They would at least know where she was.

But would they tell me? I didn’t think I’d made the best impression on them when I had met them for that wedding.

That was the first night I felt Claire’s lips on mine. The first time I wrapped my hands around her waist, felt her skin under my palm from her backless dress.

I decided to surprise her, just like I did the first time I showed up—unannounced and uninvited. That had turned out pretty damn well for me. I could still remember the feeling of her soft body pressed next to mine on that cloudlike bed.

My phone rang out over my truck’s speakers. My heart beat faster, and for a moment, I thought it would be Claire. Until Wyatt’s name flashed on my display screen.

“What?” I answered.

“You need to turn around and get back here.”

What the hell? I never once tried to stop him and Maeve from being together.

Now, they were getting married. She was having their second child.

The adoption for Jane was right around the corner.

He had his own full, happy life. He didn’t need to insert himself into mine.

I knew what I was doing. Was it a little crazy?

Sure. But what love story didn’t start with a dash of crazy and a whole lot of faith?

“I’m not turning around, Wyatt. I was serious. I’m leaving.”

“It’s important, brother. Just get back to your house.”

He hung up before I could say anything else.

I’d just left my house an hour ago. It was fine. If I turned around now, it would set me back another two hours.

Did I leave the stove on or something? He didn’t specifically say there was a fire, but what was at my house that was so important that I needed to get back for?

I called Wyatt back, but his phone went straight to voicemail.

Damn it. Now he was in my head. I wasn’t keeping that house, but I didn’t want it to burn to the ground either.

I growled, slapping the steering wheel as I took the next exit to turn around. I would handle whatever was so important at my house and get right back on the road. It didn’t matter if it was 3:00 a.m. by the time I got to her parents’ house, I was getting my ass to Claire.

My nerves built and faded multiple times in the seventy-five minutes back to Calla Bay. As I turned onto my street, my nerves had faded, and anger was winning out.

Why the hell did Wyatt make me come back? If there was nothing wrong at my house, I was really going to be pissed.

A silver Audi SUV was parked out front of my house. My hands started sweating, my heart hammering in my chest.

I would know that car anywhere. I’d seen it every single day for the last eight months. She came back, and this time, I wasn’t letting her leave without me.