“But then you got sick, and it changed everything. You let me see another side of you, and I love that side. You let all
of us in, and I don’t want that to change now that you’re better.”
“It won’t,” I whisper.
She removes her hand from the bag and holds two of three envelopes out to me.
“These two belong to Willow. I thought now that you’re better you might want to give them to her yourself.”
I take them from her, and it hurts remembering how it wrecked me to write them.
“I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with Willow, but anyone could see that she loves you. You only wrote to three people, Marcus. You wrote an apology letter to me. You wrote to Jaxson because he’s your best friend. Why did you write to Willow?”
I look away from Mia, needing a second to gather my thoughts.
When I bring my eyes back to hers, I whisper, “I wanted her to remember me.”
“Why?” Mia takes a step closer to me, her eyes never leaving mine.
“I didn’t want the woman who owns my heart to forget that every beat was for her.”
A tear spills over Mia’s cheek as she smiles at me.
“In that case,” she holds the third and final envelope out to me, “this letter is for you, Marcus. The man who wrote this loved Willow with all of his heart.”
I’m overcome with emotion and struggle to blink the tears away as I take the letter from Mia.
“I saw the way you looked at her, Marcus. It’s the way Logan looks at me. Now that you’re healthy, I hope you don’t forget what you would’ve missed most if you had died.”
I nod and smile around the emotion whirling inside of me.
“Thank you, Mia.”
“You’re welcome,” she whispers as she steps forward to give me a hug.
I stay behind when Mia goes back to the living room.
I turn the envelope around and choke up when I see my handwriting.
To the man who holds my heart.
I close the bedroom door and slowly walk to the bed as I tear the envelope open. Removing the single page from it, I read it.
If you’re reading this, then it means Willow Brooks loves you.
Her love is one of a kind. It will never leave you. It will keep coming back even when you’re an ass to her.
She will love you unconditionally. She will put your happiness before her own.
That’s why I’m writing to you. Cherish Willow’s love. Don’t be a dick just because she’s loyal. Because she loves so fiercely, she can be hurt so easily.
Put her happiness before your own. She deserves the best, and I pray to God you’re it.
I might be dead, but I will do everything in my power to watch over her.
I’m begging you to love Willow the way I never got chance to love her.
Marcus.