One and Only

“I hesitate to say anything, but I feel like I have to because it’s obvious you still have feelings for her. She was my friend and we trusted each other, but as wrong as it feels to betray a confidence from the past, it would be worse if I didn’t let you know what you might be dealing with. For her sake. Maybe yours too.”

The blood froze in my veins. “What is it?”

“She was pretty broken when we met. Devastated would be a vast understatement.”

“Oh. I—” I didn’t know what to say. I had been broken up over the divorce too. While it hadn’t been ugly, bitterness had hung over my head for years after she left, only to be followed by numbness and a refusal to ever let her cross through my mind.

Had it been the same for her?

“You don’t owe me any explanations. That’s not why I’m bringing it up. From what I understand it was a question of timing and your ambitions not lining up. You were both young.” His shoulders shrugged. “Those things happen. But I think you should know that her decision to leave you was not without consequence for her. She was a mess. Luckily, on her first day in New York, she ran into Trent and me. The dude is a riot, funny as hell. He took her under his wing and forced whatever happiness that remained inside of her to the surface. He did the same thing for me.”

“I’m glad she had the two of you to lean on.”

“Yeah, not as glad as we were to have her. She’s a great person, Cade. I hope you can make her happy again. I would love to see it.”

“Why did you leave then?”

“No good reason. My past caught up to me, I guess. I didn’t make the best choices when I was young.”

“God, did any of us?”

He chuckled. “Probably not.”

“I’m glad we talked. I appreciate this, Liam.”

He clapped me on the shoulder as we headed back to our table. “You bet. I hope it helps.”

“Any insight into what she might be thinking helps.”

Charlotte and I were never the best at communicating, which was something I should endeavor to change if I wanted any chance at a future with her.