Page 17 of Rejected Heart (The Westwoods #5)

And if I wasn’t working, I was at my parents’ house for someone’s birthday or at my grandparents’ lake house for some other celebration. I didn’t get out much, and I certainly wasn’t hanging around in spots where it’d even be possible for me to run into Meredith.

So, this was a first.

And the tension was thick enough to slice with a knife.

My eyes dropped to the envelope in her hand, Meredith unable to avoid noticing.

She held it out to me. “This is… I was coming to mail this to you for her.”

It had been just over a year since I’d received her last letter.

Nothing since my birthday. And when my birthday passed this year without another one, I’d assumed she’d decided to no longer send them.

At this rate, with more and more time passing between each letter, I wondered how many years it might be before I’d get one after this.

I hesitated, wondering if I should even take the letter. But I knew that considering refusing it was a waste of time. I was too curious not to know what Layla had to say.

I took the letter from Meredith. “Thanks.”

Her chin jerked down.

“You remember my sister, Jules, right?”

Meredith smiled at Jules. “I do. It’s wonderful to see you again, Jules.”

“Likewise.”

An awkward silence stretched between us before I asked, “Have you seen her?”

“I have.”

“She’s doing okay?”

“The best that I think she can.”

Nodding my understanding, I replied, “That’s good. I’m glad. I should… We’ve got to get going.”

“Liam, I still try.”

“What? ”

Meredith sighed. “I still try to get her to come home. I miss her so much.”

My throat grew painfully thick. “But you said you’ve seen her.”

“Yes. But our visits are few and far between. She doesn’t stay long when she does return, and I can’t even get her to go out with me when she does come back.”

It was like taking a punch to the gut. “She’s been back in Landing?”

“A few times, yes.”

I should have walked away, but I needed to know. “Is she coming back for Christmas?”

Meredith shook her head. “No. In fact, I’m leaving town now to go spend Christmas with her. I would tell you?—”

“It’s okay. She doesn’t want me to know.”

“I’m sorry, Liam. I really am sorry.”

With a slight shake of my head, I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat.

“It’s… There’s nothing you can do. She has to want to fix this, and I’m convinced that’s never going to happen at this point.

Please, if it’s not too much trouble, will you send her my love when you see her?

Will you tell her that I hope she’s happy? ”

Disappointment marred her features. “I absolutely will.”

“Thank you. Merry Christmas, Meredith.”

“Merry Christmas, Liam. You, too, Jules.”

Feeling like I might be sick, I tugged on my sister’s arm and urged her in the opposite direction toward the car .

Once we were inside, Jules released a breath. “Oh, God, Liam, are you okay?”

I shook my head. “She’s been here. She came home, and she never reached out to me.”

“I’m so sorry.”

My chest heaving, I closed my eyes. I had to figure it out. I had to try to work out what I’d missed, what would keep this woman away from me. She’d had claimed in her last letter to me that she loved me and couldn’t wait to be back in my arms. But she’d been in Landing and never contacted me.

God, I must have screwed up so badly. Had I hurt her like this and not known it?

Unable to wait, I opened my eyes and tore open the envelope.

Dear Liam,

It’s been a long time since I’ve written to you. I’m sorry for that, but I just don’t have the news to share that I’ve been hoping I would.

I’m sure by now you’ve moved on without me. I can’t say I blame you. I realize just how unfair I’ve been to you. It was wrong for me to leave and expect you’d stick around, especially without any explanation.

I never meant to leave like I did. It hadn’t ever been part of my plan. I think if there’s anything you know for sure about me, it’s that I like to have a plan. But your proposal made me panic, and I just couldn’t accept it when I had all these feelings of uneasiness inside.

I’m still working on me, still trying to figure things out. And I know that my decision to walk away and be gone for so long has likely destroyed any chance I had of ever getting you back.

My heart aches for what I’ve done to us, and I’m so terribly sorry for destroying what we had.

I want you to be happy, Liam. I want you to have everything you deserve. And that’s why this will be my final letter to you. It’s not fair for me to continue doing this to you.

I still hope to return to Landing one day, and if I’m lucky, maybe things will work out for us then. But until that time comes, you deserve to be happy, even if it’s not with me.

Please know how sorry I am.

And most of all, please know that I will always love you.

Merry Christmas, Liam.

All my love,

Layla

She was giving up, and it was all my fault.

This was it.

This was the last piece of her I’d get. There was no telling when she’d ever come back.

It was the proposal that did it. The love I felt for her, the need I felt to be with her forever, was what pushed her away.

It was right there in her letter— Your proposal made me panic.

Even if I didn’t know why it made her panic, the reality was that I’d all but sent her packing. I should have just purchased the plane ticket myself and sent her on her way.

I couldn’t bear to read the letter again. Not yet. This one was far too final.

My head dropped back against the headrest, the pain in my throat and chest unbearable.

“Liam? Is it… is it bad?”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak, and I knew I could trust Jules with the contents of the letter, so I held it out to her. She took it and read it.

Tears spilled down her cheeks. “My goodness, Liam. What are you going to do?”

The devastation was plain as day in her voice.

“There’s nothing I can do. Right now, I’d like to just head back to the hotel. ”

“Liam, I think?—”

“Please, Jules,” I begged. “Please.”

She held my stare for a few beats. “Sure.”

A moment later, she turned on the car and drove toward the hotel.