Page 12 of Rejected Heart (The Westwoods #5)

LIAM

Bone-chilling cold.

It might have been the start of summer, but I couldn’t have guessed that to be the case.

The cold that had seeped into my body was a stark contrast to the day’s earlier weather and my former state.

If anything, I’d been suffering with sweaty palms and clammy skin with the nerves I’d been experiencing ahead of this disastrous evening.

I hadn’t even believed I had any reason to feel nervous.

I’d been confident. I’d been sure this would be the best day of my life.

How could I have been so wrong?

What had I missed?

She left me. Layla left me.

The woman I loved, the woman I’d intended to marry, had just walked away from me, and she’d done it without giving me a single word of explanation .

Her unexpected response—that she couldn’t marry me—had left me so stunned, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to react at all. I merely stayed there, down on one knee, watching as she ran in the opposite direction, away from me.

And for a brief moment, she’d given me one small spark of hope when she stopped and turned to look back at me. I stayed there, barely breathing, and praying she’d had a change of heart.

Maybe this had felt like too much of a surprise for her, but as she ran away, it hit her that she still loved me, that she still wanted to be with me.

It seemed like an eternity had passed as we stared at one another from the distance. I couldn’t make out what was in her expression from the distance, but I wanted to say I sensed longing.

That could have merely been wishful thinking, though.

I wondered what Layla thought as she looked at me. Did she know how utterly disillusioned I felt? Did she understand the hurt and disappointment I felt? Did she care that I was beyond humiliated?

Come back, I thought. Please, come back.

Almost as soon as I could hear those words in my head, Layla made her decision final, ripping my heart to shreds as she turned and took off running again.

A rush of air left my lungs, and my gaze dropped to the ground. My insides shuddered as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

This was us .

Liam and Layla.

Where had things gone wrong?

To walk away like that, to not even offer any kind of explanation, felt cruel. Had I made this all up in my head? Did she even love me?

This couldn’t be happening. It had to be some vicious joke.

Everything went numb, an overwhelming heaviness in my chest and limbs being all I could sense.

Memories from nearly four years with her swam through my mind. All of them were happy memories filled with laughter and fun and excitement. Memories filled with hope and promise.

Nothing.

Not one single moment had indicated there was anything to be worried about. Layla hadn’t shown me any signs of being unhappy with me.

Had she been hiding something, or had I been so caught up in how much I wanted a future with her that I was blind to what was right in front of me?

I wracked my brain for answers, but it was only the uneasiness I’d witnessed from her tonight that suggested anything was wrong.

What was I going to do now?

God, I’d been such an idiot. My ego had gotten in the way and allowed me to be so confident about this, so thrilled to start the rest of my life, that I hadn’t hidden my plans from anyone who mattered.

My parents, brothers, and sisters all knew that I’d purchased a ring and planned to propose to Layla tonight. While I didn’t think they’d ever go out of their way to make me feel bad about this, it didn’t lessen my mortification.

If someone walked up to me now, I didn’t doubt they’d see that embarrassment in my flushed face and weak posture.

I fell to my ass on the ground, brought my knees to my chest, and draped my arms over them as I hung my head forward, trying to breathe through the pain. Pain that clung to every muscle, bone, and fiber of my being.

For a long time, I sat there.

Not planning, not moving, not even thinking.

I simply gave in to the numbness and pain and allowed it to consume me. My eyes focused on the blades of thick green grass beneath me, noting the way some blades tangled with others or how they moved when a gentle breeze blew past.

Eventually, my thoughts drifted back to Layla and what I was going to do.

Something kept me where I was, unable to leave.

I decided I’d probably waited so long, because there was one small part of me that had been hoping Layla might return.

If I stayed in the last place she saw me, she’d know where to come back and find me.

When the sun had finally set, I forced myself to get up, to take every painstaking step toward my car.

I wanted to be alone. Needed it.

But I also needed to get a few things before I could make that happen. So, I had no choice but to face the music and head home to my parents’ house. When I walked in, they were shocked to see me .

At first, they wore excited smiles, but seconds after, when they took in my expression and noted I was alone, the happiness was gone.

The same had been true for Jules, who walked into the room no more than a minute after I had.

“Liam? What’s... what’s wrong?” my mom asked.

“What happened with Layla?” my dad pressed.

My mind went right back to that moment when I was down on one knee in front of her, telling her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, and listening to her say those two words in response— I can’t .

I shook my head as I clenched my jaw in an effort not to break down. “She… she rejected my proposal.”

Jules gasped. “What?!”

My mom’s hand flew up to cover her mouth as tears filled her vision. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

Shrugging, I muttered, “That makes two of us. I don’t have any answers. She said she couldn’t, and then she took off running.”

With both my mom and Jules in tears, my dad stepped in. “Did you go after her? Have you reached out to her?”

“No. No, I waited there for a long time. She never came back.”

“Maybe she was just surprised by it,” my mom reasoned. “Maybe she just needs some time to come to terms with it.”

Latching on to that shred of hope, Jules added, “Of course, that’s what it is. This is such a big decision, and you two are so young. I’m sure she’s just scared.”

I looked at my sister, felt those words seep in, and countered, “Scared? Of being with me?”

She moved toward me and placed her hand gently on my shoulder. “No. No, Liam, that’s not it. But this is a lifelong commitment. I think Mom’s right. Maybe Layla just needs some time.”

While it was entirely possible that they could be right, I didn’t think that was the case. If it had been, if Layla was just nervous about this, she could have said so. She would have told me she needed some time. Instead, she gave me nothing and ran off.

Unwilling to argue with them and lead them to feeling the same level of devastation that I did, I acquiesced, “Maybe you’re right. Um, I… I think I need some time alone. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to spend the next night or two at the hotel.”

Without hesitating, my mom nodded. “Of course, you can. Are you sure that’s what you want, though? Wouldn’t you rather be with your family?”

“Not now. I appreciate that, but I’m just going to pack up a few things and head out.”

“I’ll pack up a couple of meals for you, too.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I insisted.

She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “I want to.”

I offered her an appreciative nod in return before shifting my attention to my dad and, finally, my sister. So much for not wanting them to feel any of the heartbreak. It was written all over their faces.

Nobody spoke again as I turned and walked off toward the stairs. I climbed them, strode to my bedroom, and went through the motions of packing a bag. Somewhere in the middle of it, there was a soft knock at my door before I heard my sister’s voice. “Liam? May I come in?”

Jules was only sixteen years old. Even if I wasn’t up for talking about this to anyone, I didn’t have the heart to be cruel and dismiss her. “Sure.”

She stepped into the room, noted the bag I had on the bed, and watched as I moved back and forth between it and the closet. Cautiously, she walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. “It seems stupid to ask if you’re okay, because it’s clear to me that you aren’t.”

I wasn’t.

And I wasn’t sure I would ever be okay.

“I’ll be fine,” I lied.

“I think we all know that you’ll be fine eventually, but I’m worried about you,” she shared. “This had to be so difficult for you, Liam.”

Difficult wasn’t quite the word I would have used to describe it.

I lifted my hand to the back of my neck and wiped at the sweat. I’d gone from feeling nothing but cold settle over me to this. Was it panic? Or was it simply the realization that I didn’t know anything about the woman I’d hoped to marry? Maybe it was both.

I couldn’t make eye contact with my sister, and for some reason, the restraint I’d had for the last few hours had become unleashed.

“I don’t think she understands,” I revealed.

“Understands what?”

I continued to rub at the back of my neck, now actively trying to massage the tension out. “I don’t think Layla understands how much I love her.”

“She knows, Liam. Trust me. She was the center of your world. It would be impossible for her not to know what she means to you.”

Shaking my head, I lifted my gaze to her. “If that’s true, why did she leave?”

Jules must have seen something in my expression that suggested I was barely hanging on, because she stood and moved toward me. The second I felt her arms come around me, I hugged her back, holding on tighter than ever.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “We’re going to get you through this, Liam.”

“I love her so much,” I croaked.

My sister’s arms squeezed me tighter. “I know you do. It’s no secret to anyone how much you adore her. Even Layla can’t deny that fact.”

“What am I going to do without her?”

Jules stroked her hand up and down my back. “We’re going to take it one day at a time. And you’re going to give her some time. You might just need to cope for a few days. That’s all.”

I wanted to be hopeful. I wanted to trust what Jules was saying, because it would mean I’d have Layla back. But I knew better. Layla wasn’t coming back. “You weren’t there, Jules. I’m telling you; this isn’t about her needing time. She’s…. There’s something else. What did I miss?”

Loosening her hold on me, Jules took a step back and curled her fingers around the front of my arms. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t know what happened with Layla, but I know she didn’t just give up because she felt like you didn’t care for her. Do you know what I’ve told myself for years?”

“No. What have you told yourself?”

“I realize I’m only sixteen right now, but for at least the last two years, I’ve really been paying attention and watching you with her.

It always makes me happy to see. And the only thing I keep telling myself is that if I can find someone who loves me even half as much as you love Layla, I’ll be the luckiest girl in the world. ”

As gut-wrenching as this had been, I still believed my sister deserved to experience love the way I had. Or the way I thought I had. But if I could have my say, I’d never want her to know what this felt like. I’d never want her to be subjected to this kind of pain and agony.

“You’ll find someone who will give you that, Jules,” I promised her. “I don’t doubt that for one second.”

She offered a small smile in return. “And I know this isn’t the end for you. It might take some time to get this figured out, but unless there’s something that Layla was hiding, there’s no way she’s never coming back.”

Though I didn’t feel happy, I appreciated my sister’s optimism. I didn’t want to crush her hopeful spirit. So, I returned the smile and said, “I hope you’re right.”

“I am.”

I finished getting my bag packed, went downstairs, and saw the sadness and worry on my parents’ faces. My mom held out a bag filled to the brim with food for more than just a day or two and said, “Dad called over to the hotel. They’ll have a suite ready for you when you get there.”

“Thanks.”

Stepping forward, my dad clapped his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “We’re sorry, Liam. If there’s anything we can do to help you through this, all you’ve got to do is ask.”

Jerking my chin down with acknowledgement, I said, “I know. Thanks, Dad.”

“We love you,” my mom chimed in as she opened her arms to pull me in for a hug. “Whenever you’re ready to talk, we’ll be here.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll see you later.”

I was out the door and on my way to the hotel moments later. And just as my mom had said, there was a suite ready for me when I arrived.

After taking some time to drop my bags and put the food away, I climbed into the bed. I replayed the evening with Layla in my head, and all it did was serve to increase the urge I had to reach out to her.

With nobody there to talk me out of making what could be considered a foolish move, I pulled out my phone and called her. The call went to voicemail, and I knew it was over. She always answered my calls. Always.

But I left her a message anyway.

“Layla, please call me. I want to talk to you and work this out. Whatever it is, you can tell me. Please. I love you.”

I disconnected the call and tossed my phone aside.

Getting any sleep was impossible as I held on to some shred of hope that maybe she’d call me back.

But that call never came.

I had to face the truth.

Layla was gone, and I was alone.