Broken Hearts (Light in the Dark 5)

“Fuck you, Nova,” he spits. “I lost him too. This didn’t only happen to you. This happened to both of us.” He waves his hand back and forth.

“It’s different for you,” I defend.

“Different how?” His brows furrow. “Because I’m a man? I’m the one who wanted to have a baby first, remember? I wanted him too. I heard his heartbeat. I felt him move inside you. I felt his life. I’m still grieving too, so fuck you for acting like you’re alone in this.”

I wince at his words. “Please don’t hate me.”

A muscle in his jaw ticks. “I wish I could hate you—God, I wish I could, because you’re breaking my fucking heart. But I could never hate you.”

“I’ll be back,” I promise. “This isn’t forever.”

“Funny, because it feels like it is.”

Jace

I watch her go.

The door clicks behind her with a finality.

She says this isn’t the end, that she’ll be back, but she’s a stranger now, so I can’t bring myself to believe her—to give myself false hope.

I glance around the apartment. It’s full of our stuff, everything is still here, and yet it feels entirely empty.

I sit down on the couch, running my hands down my face and letting out a groan.

This doesn’t feel real—none of it does. It has to be one horrible nightmare I’m going to wake up from eventually, right?

I keep expecting the door to open and for her to come back inside—for her to say she can’t leave me, the same way I can’t leave her.

But the door stays closed.

Nova

I move through the bustling airport, my suitcase in tow.

I step onto the escalator, and as it moves down, I scan the crowd for Owen.

It doesn’t take me long to spot him. His dark hair is shaggy, the curls dangerously close to falling in his eyes. He wears a pair of slacks with a white button down tucked into them. I’m sure he’s come straight from work.

He sees me and grins, those dimples that used to make me weak in the knees popping out.

I step off and head over to him and he meets me halfway.

“It’s good to see you.” He smiles and pulls me into a hug. “I wish you were here under different circumstances, but I’ll take it.”

I force a smile back. “Thanks for letting me stay with you.”

“It’s no problem,” he assures me. “Here let me get your bag.” He takes my suitcase from me and I fall into step beside him, heading for the exit.

“How are things here?” I ask. “You still like it.”

He nods. “I’m happy here. Work is great, and I love the energy of the city. Plus, I’m far, far, far, away from my parents.”

We step outside and he leads me to a waiting taxi.

The guy doesn’t bother to jump out and get my suitcase so Owen lifts the hatch and puts it away.

He opens the door to the taxi and I slide in first. He settles beside me, his knee touching mine, and closes the door. He rattles off an address to the cab driver and then the car lurches forward, sending me careening into Owen.