page7 (1/2)

“Please, that’s not what I meant to say I had it all planned out, buters spread wide in supplication “What I meant was that I ay too messed up back then to be ready to promise the rest of my life to another person After all the stuff with my ood husband to you, no matter how hard I would have tried”

I pause, encouraged by the slight softening around Lark’s eyes

“My baggage weighed ht you said yes, and everything went to shit Parker and I had the blow up to end all blow ups and…” I take a breath, fighting for the courage to be honest with her “I looked at myself in the mirror after, withwallpaper in ? With a girl like you? When I clearly didn’t deserve you”

“That’s not true,” Lark whispers “You were always so good to me Before”

“I tried to be,” I say, pulse racing as I take a tentative step closer “I loved you so much”

“And I loved you,” she says, taking astep backward “And then you left Without even saying goodbye Without saying anything Do you kno hard that was? I kept waiting for you to at least call and explain, but you never did”

“I’ot ht it had been months and I was buried in work and I… Well, I convinced myself you wouldn’t want to hear from me That it was best to leave you alone”

“And now?” she whispers “What’s changed?”

“I…” I trail off, sing hard I’et one shot at this, one chance to prove to her I et every word right Tongue slipping out to da anxiously at my sides, I say, “I’ve done a lot of work on s that were broken inside ofI can’t fix, no matter how much time I spend on my therapists’ couch”

Lark arches a brow, clearly unimpressed

Harder, asshole Try harder Or get ready to spend the rest of your lifethis woman as much as you have the past four years

“There’s never been anyone forfor anyone else that even comes close to e had, what I threhen I was a stupid kid who didn’t think he deserved to be loved like that” My breath rushes out “And maybe I didn’t, and maybe I still don’t But I proive ret it”