Page 99 of My Three Hometown Alphas

She tilts her head to the side. Her eyes lock on mine. Neither of us says anything, but it’s there. I know she’s in love with me as much as I am with her.

I slide my hands up until they’re on either side of her face. I press my lips to hers.

When she takes a deep breath and steps toward her car, I can physically feel my heart cracking in my chest. It’s only the love I have for her and the desire for what’s best for her that keeps me rooted in place as she slides into the driver’s seat.

Tears continue to stream down her face as she buckles her seatbelt and rolls down her window. She opens her mouth to say something but stops herself by biting her lip.

I’m pretty sure I know what she was about to say. It’s what all three of us are dying to tell her right now, too.

She takes several deep breaths before sliding the car into reverse and backing out toward the street. She blows us each a kiss before driving away.

We all stand there motionless until her car disappears. Even then, we stand there unable to accept the reality of what just happened.

Eventually, we make our way back into the house. None of us say a word because what is there to say when the love of all our lives just drove away?

She’ll be back to grab the rest of her stuff, but that’s it. She isn’t ours anymore. That brief fragment of time, as beautiful as it was, is done now.

Will leans over the counter, reading the letter Avery left for Lyla.

“Fuck,” he breathes out, gripping his hair so tightly I think he’s going to rip it out of his head. He starts pacing through the kitchen.

Miles makes his way over to read the letter. He leans over the counter, burying his face in his hands.

“How the hell do we do this?” I ask. “How do we just let her go?”

They both turn to look at me, neither of them saying anything.

“I’m in love with her,” I say. I’m sure they both already know, but I feel like it needs to be said out loud, even if it’s only for them to hear.

“I love her, too,” Miles says.

Will nods. “Me too.”

“I know taking this job is what she needs… what she wants,” I say.

Lyla’s voice startles the shit out of me. It isn’t like me to be so out of it that I’m not fully aware of where everyone is at all times.

“She doesn’t want to do the internship,” she says.

Wait… what?

“What do you mean?” Will asks.

“She said she didn’t know what she wanted to do anymore, but it wasn’t that job,” Lyla says.

“When did she say this?” Miles asks.

“When we went to the animal shelter. She told Sienna.”

I share a look with my brothers.

“Then why is she going?” I ask.

Lyla shrugs, walking toward the counter. “It used to be her dream job. I think she’s doing it for her dad, too. She found out she got the position right before he died. I think she doesn’t want to disappoint him.”

“She told you all of this?” Miles asks.

Lyla sighs, like she’s annoyed with all the questions. “Some of it, yeah, but I just pieced the rest together from things she told other people.”