Page 141 of The Temptation of Truth

It’s a blissful high and a devastating low in the same breath. She loves me, but she can’t keep me. She loves me, but she doesn’t want me.

“Don’t say that. You don’t mean it. You don’t. You love me. Youcankeep me. I’m right here.”

I reach for her, but she leans away again, then she pushes up from her chair and crosses the terrace. Every step backward is a mile between us. A fracture, a crack, and the walls start to cave in around me.

“Come back,” I beg. “Please. Please don’t do this. I love you. You love me. Keep me. Please.”

Her face falls, and she rests her hand on the doorknob to her room. It’s over. I can tell it’s over. There’s nothing I can do or say to save us.

“Go try on some lives. Travel. Get lost in your gardens. Write poetry. Make mistakes. Kiss people. Be light. Do all the things you’ve wanted to do and couldn’t. Try on some lives, Aurora Jade, and when you find one that fits, if there is room for me in it, I’ll be waiting.”

My heart breaks and falls to my feet, and I can hardly see through the tears flooding my eyes. I stand so quickly that my chair clatters to the floor, and I fist my hands at my sides.

“I love you,” I say again, begging, pleading. “Please, please don’t do this.”

Her eyes flutter shut, her next inhale and exhale ragged, and she opens her mouth as if to speak. I hold my breath, waiting, hoping to God she’ll take it all back.

But she doesn’t.

Instead, she clamps her mouth shut again, caging her words behind clenched teeth, and I watch in slow motion as she opens her terrace door and disappears into her dark room without a sound.

I collapse to the ground and sob until the sky starts to pinken with the rising sun. Then I stand, stretch my aching muscles, and stare for several minutes at Mabel’s room. Without thinking too hard about it, I unclasp my necklace and hang it over the knob of her French door.

“Don’t forget me,” I whisper, and then I retreat to my room.

Within thirty minutes, I’ve packed my things, apologized to Sav, and buckled myself and my orchid into the SUV so Uncle Wade can take me to the airport.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

I don’t lift my head from the passenger window as I nod. “Yes.”

He pauses for a moment, and I can feel him looking at me, but I don’t look back. Finally, he breaks the silence, and I’m grateful his tone is all business.

“I’ll have a car at the airfield to pick you up when you land, and the penthouse will be prepared for you when you arrive.”

“Thanks.”

“And Jones will be coming with you.” I sit up to argue, but he holds out a hand. “Don’t even try.”

Reluctantly, I drop my head back to the cool window and bite my tongue.

“Since you’ll be back in the states, I’ll set up a time for you to meet with your divorce lawyers in person. Proximity should make it easier to speed things along.”

I nod again. “Kay.”

“And Aurora?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m still proud of you.”

I roll my eyes. “That makes one of us.”

33

MABLE

THREE MONTHS LATER