Page 15 of Red, White, and You (Merry Little Midlife #3)

Tuesday morning comes all too fast, and with it, a sense of dread.

I wake in my ex-husband’s arms, but even his comforting presence isn’t enough to shake the feeling that I shouldn’t be here.

I know I’ve created this monster, this all-consuming need to be in control, but even as relaxing as these last few days have been, with a permanent grin on my face and a sense of childhood excitement still buzzing in my veins, I know that something is wrong at the firm.

I can feel it.

The phone ringing on the nightstand beside me confirms it.

Chris wouldn’t call unless she absolutely had to. She wanted me to take this time off more than I did.

With my heart in my throat, I slip out from Brady’s grasp and slide to the edge of the bed, careful not to wake him.

Clutching my phone tightly in my hand, I sneak to the front door and slip outside. The relaxed, cheerful energy of Camp West that embraced me since my arrival here suddenly feels suffocating.

I press the green button to answer the call.

Christina’s voice is strained, her words rushed as she begins speaking before I can even say hello.

“Oh, thank God I reached you. I’m so sorry.

I told you to go, that I could handle things without you.

And I could. Of course, I could. But this…

” She sighs, then quickly continues. “Brielle, we need you back in New York immediately. Thee’s been a break in. ”

I grip the balcony, my knuckles turning white. I knew I shouldn’t leave New York. I knew it! What was I thinking going against my better judgment? “What happened? Is everyone okay?”

There’s a momentary pause on the other end of the line as Chris takes a deep breath and my heart beats loudly in my ears. “Everyone is fine, but…” Another pause. “The entire place has been ransacked—”

“What?” I shriek, and a bird takes flight from a nearby tree. Swallowing hard, I realize what she’s saying and lower my voice as I ask the question I already know the answer to. “What did they take?”

“The Hargrave files.”

“Shit,” I say on a heavy exhale. My mind races, trying to process the severity of the situation.

I poured months of hard work and dedication into that case, one nobody else wanted to touch.

I knew it was risky, but that’s what fueled my desire.

I knew the people involved were shady—dangerous on both sides—but I wanted that win, hungered for the status that would follow. The respect.

I balked at the risks because I wanted the glory.

I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut. And now, because I took time off, the ground beneath me is crumbling.

“Chris, this is… How could this happen?”

“I don’t know, Brie. We’re all in shock here. They went through everything, but the only files missing are Hargrave’s. It looks like they specifically targeted that case.” Chris sighs.

Of course they did.

“And the digital files?” I ask, even though I know .

“Wiped.”

My chest tightens until my lungs feel ready to pop. “It’s like I never even took the case.”

“Worse,” she whispers “It’s like the case never existed in the first place. He’s gone.”

I curse under my breath and hang my head, rubbing my knuckles over my breastplate to relieve the pressure in my chest.

“We’ve been trying to do damage control without you, but we need you to come back and coordinate with the authorities. They want to speak to you directly.”

“What do you mean you’ve been trying ? For how long? When did this happen?”

“Saturday night.”

“Saturday night?” I snap at just above a whisper. Running my hand over my forehead, I begin to pace. “You should have called me immediately, Christina.”

“I know.” Chris is quiet for a moment, then adds, “But there’s nothing you could have done. It was the middle of the night; you wouldn’t have even been in the office—”

“I might’ve been!” Breathing deeply, I shake my head.

I might’ve been. I should’ve been.

Losing that file could cost me the biggest case of my career.

“You could have been hurt, Brie. If these guys made Hargrave disappear, what would they have done to you?”

I grit my teeth, shaking my head. It doesn’t matter because I wasn’t there. We’ll never know if I could have done something to save those files because I wasn’t there . “Send Clarence to collect me.”

“Already on his way. ”

“Okay.” I nod, even though she can’t see me. “See you this afternoon.”

I end the call and haul in a stuttered breath. The serenity of the lake in the early morning light mocks the turmoil in my life, mocks me . Thinking I deserved serenity has cost me the biggest case of my career.

My chest is a tight ball of anxiety, undoing three days’ worth of relaxation.

This unexpected turn of events has shaken me to my core.

I had finally allowed myself to embrace the happiness that Brady and I were rediscovering, to let go and relax, and now, it feels like a cruel joke.

Like I’m being punished for giving myself this week to reconnect with the love of my life and enjoy a moment of goddamn peace.

I turn my back to the lake and walk slowly toward the door, the weight of the situation heavy on my shoulders.

I have to face Brady, explain everything to him, and cut our reunion short.

The thought fills me with a deep ache and the heavy weight of guilt, as if fate is mocking the fragile happiness I had dared to hope for.

The summer camp, once a place of joy and reconnection, now feels like a fleeting dream. And as I prepare to shatter the idyllic bubble Brady and I had begun to build together, I have a sickening thought:

Will life ever allow us to truly find happiness in each other’s arms again?

He’s still sleeping, unaware of the bomb that was just dropped into my lap, and I can’t bring myself to wake him just yet.

Maybe it’s cowardly, but I’m struggling enough for both of us. Let him sleep peacefully for a little while longer before I break both of our hearts all over again .

The morning sun casts a warm glow across the room as I carefully fold my clothes and place them inside the open suitcase.

My heart is heavy with a mixture of sadness and duty.

This decision weighs on me like an anchor, tugging me in opposite directions.

Part of me wants to stay here, to revel in the joy of rediscovered love, to immerse myself in the sea of passion that Brady and I have awakened.

But reality beckons, reminding me of the life I’ve built, the responsibilities that demand my attention. I have to return to the city.

As I zip up the suitcase, Brady stirs. I glance over my shoulder as his eyes flutter open, confusion flickering in their depths as he takes in the sight of me preparing to leave.

He sits up quickly, rubbing his eyes as if he’s hoping what he sees is a mirage, a lingering fragment of a dream.

But it’s not a dream; it’s a nightmare.

“What’s going on, Brie?”

I turn to fully face him, my heart aching at the sight of his tousled hair and drowsy eyes. I should be climbing back into bed with him to start the day the way we have every morning since my arrival. Instead, I’m going to break his heart.

“Brady, I…” My voice wavers as I search for the right words, the ones that will convey the impossible choice I’m forced to make.

“I received a call from Chris—Christina. My partner,” I begin, my voice barely a whisper. “Something urgent has come up, and I have to go back. It’s… it’s a mess.” My voice cracks on the last word.

His brows furrow, a mix of concern and disappointment etching lines on his forehead as he tries to process the news. I can see the hurt in his gaze, the realization that our reunion has been cut short by the merciless hand of fate .

“Can’t someone else handle it? Can’t you take a few more days?”

I take a step closer, my hand reaching out to caress his cheek, to touch the roughness of his unshaven skin. The warmth of his face sends ripples of longing through my veins, but I steady myself, knowing that this goodbye is inevitable.

It always was.

“I wish I could, Brady. I truly do,” I whisper, my voice laced with regret. “But this is my firm, my career, and I can’t abandon it. I’ve worked so hard to build something meaningful.”

He reaches up, placing his hand over mine against his cheek. His eyes search mine, as if hoping to find a different answer buried within their depths, but then he nods. “I understand. Go take care of things back home.”

The ache in my chest intensifies, threatening to consume me whole.

It hurts to see the sadness in his eyes, to know that he, too, is torn between his love for me and the reality of our differences.

We were always polar opposites, two souls dancing on opposite ends of the spectrum, but we’ve both hoped, even foolishly, that we could cross that divide.

And now, he’s not even mad at me. Yelling would be easier to take. A fight, easier to drive away from.

But he’s calm. Resigned. As if…

I sigh.

As if he, too, knew this was always the inevitable end of our love story. Because it quite literally always has been, hasn’t it? Togetherness and happily ever after were just never in the cards for us.

“I love you, Brie,” he whispers, his voice tight with emotion. “I love you more than I can put into words. ”

A solitary tear escapes the corner of my eye. I hold his gaze, my heart breaking with every truth he speaks into existence.

Brady pulls me into an embrace, his arms encircling me tightly, as if trying to hold onto the fragments of our love that slip through his fingers.

“I’ll always love you, Brielle,” he murmurs against my hair, and my heart shatters into even smaller shards.

It’s a goodbye that cuts deeper than any wound, a farewell born from love and understanding. We both know that this is the right thing to do, the only path forward.

Apart has always been the only path forward.

This isn’t a fairy tale, and sometimes love simply is not enough.

“I’ll go to my place so you can pack the rest of your things and leave without me lingering and…” He grimaces. “Making it harder.”

As I pull away from him, our eyes meet for one last time. The weight of unspoken words hangs heavy in the air, a testament to the love that lingers between us, even as we say goodbye.

Again.

He dresses quickly, and I watch his every move, memorizing each pull of muscle in his back as he tugs his shirt on, the way his fingers move with each button of his fly. He runs his hands through his unruly dirty-blond hair and I almost change my mind.

When he reaches the door, he pauses to look back at me. “Bye, Breezy.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and tears stream down my cheeks. The sound of the door opening and closing echoes in the room. His footsteps grow quieter the further down the steps he gets.

And then he’s gone.

“Goodbye, Brady,” I whisper. “I’ll always love you, too.”

This time around, that man doesn’t just have a piece of my heart, he has the whole goddamn thing.