Read Online Memory of You (A Misty Cove Love Story) by Dori Lavelle - Free Book Online Page B

no longer just talking to Sally and I was glad they were listening. “You have skeletons inside your closets too. Does anyone talk about them? You cheat on your husbands and your husbands cheat on you. You steal, you bad mouth your friends behind their backs. Yet you have the audacity to think you’re better than me. We all make mistakes. I made mine five years ago. Yes, I walked away from the man I loved. I walked out on him, but I had my reasons. Why don’t you mind your own business?” I laughed sarcastically. “Five bloody years, and you’re still sniffing around mine. Don’t you have better things to do? Are your lives that boring? Wash your own dirty laundry before you mess with mine.”
    I twisted to look at each person in turn. People looked away, gazes shifted, mouths fell open, heads were scratched in shame, and some walked away. When I was turning to look back at Sally, I saw Bryce. Our eyes met.
    He stood between two cupcake stalls and had an arm slung around the waist of a gorgeous brunette with a bun on the top of her head, wisps of her hair fluttering in the breeze around her baby doll face.
    I focused on her. She was the kind of woman who was hard not to look at. She looked so perfect and fragile at the same time. Like a new china cup. She had a confused look in her brown, doe eyes as she looked up at Bryce and whispered something into his ear. He said something back to her and kissed her cheek.
    My gaze moved back to his and I could almost hear my heart fall at my feet. His gaze locked with mine, probing, questioning, confused. My eyes filled with tears, but before I could embarrass myself in front of the whole town and give them more gossip material to last them another five years, Erin grabbed my arm and pulled me away. People parted to make way for us. I kept my eyes downcast.
    Erin didn’t stop until we had walked out of the church gates and down the sandy path that led to the beach below.
    Finally, I collapsed on the sand and hugged my knees to my body. Erin did the same. In silence, we gazed out at sea, watching the waves sweep the shore and shrink back into the ocean, sky meeting water in perfect harmony. I closed my eyes and let the breeze comfort me, the sounds of the water and seagulls to calm my nerves. Then I opened them again. The tears were gone but not the pain.
    “I wish I didn’t love him anymore.” I let out a small laugh. “It would have made everything so much easier.”
    “I know, sweetie.” Erin put an arm around my shoulders. “But you’re strong. You will get through this. One day, you might even meet another love of your life. I actually don’t believe there’s only one person for everyone.”
    “I disagree. Even when I married Milton, I knew Bryce was still the one who owned my heart. I knew that I could never love him as much as I loved Bryce.” I let out a stream of air. “Maybe he sensed that and that was why our marriage crashed.” I paused. “I think I only fell in love with the idea of being in love with him… and his good looks, of course.”
    “That man was movie-star gorgeous,” Erin added. “When I met him the first time, I was actually disappointed he didn’t have a brother. Hell, I would have married a sister if he’d had one.” Erin laughed and so did I.
    “I thought you’re not ready for marriage.”
    Erin shrugged. “Exceptions are there to be made.”
    I shook my head and smiled at her. “You’re right.” Some of the tension melted and all I felt was sadness, deep and dark, and stifling. “But he certainly wasn’t husband material.” I had run away from Bryce because I thought he had cheated on me, only to enter into a marriage with a man who never hid his affairs from me.
    “You went through so much.”
    “Yeah, I had hoped Misty Cove would give me a break. It’s the place where I had been happiest.”
    “It could still bring you happiness.” Erin drew hearts in the sand. “It’s a tiny town and not much happens here.