Exposed - Chapter 4
Saturday
Brooklyn
Miller wasn’t answering me tonight. And I was pretty sure I knew what that meant. That he wasn’t bargaining with me. That he meant what he said in his letter. But he wasn’t the only one I could go to for advice.
I walked through the cemetery and froze when my feet reached my uncle’s gravestone. I hadn’t gotten to visit it nearly enough before my father took me away.
“Hey, Uncle Jim,” I said. “It’s been a really long time.”
My uncle had liked Matt. They’d gotten along. I could still picture watching a movie with the two of them back at my uncle’s small apartment. It had felt so normal. It felt like home.
There were a few wilted flowers lying in front of the tombstone.
Probably from Mrs. Alcaraz. Maybe Kennedy.
It didn’t seem significant enough. Maybe because it wasn’t nearly as many flowers as the gravestone beside his.
I looked over and frowned. Some of the same flowers were on that grave.
Almost like the bouquets had been split.
I walked over and I swear it was like ice went through my veins. I reached out and ran my fingers across my name on the tombstone. This is my grave?
I looked down at the flowers. Roses, chrysanthemums, lilies, daffodils, sunflowers. I’d never actually told Matt my favorite. But he’d brought me flowers of every kind after my uncle had passed away. And I knew these were his doing.
Matt hadn’t forgotten about me. For years I thought he had. I thought he’d moved on. I thought he was happy.
I shook my head as the tears fell. He never forgot.
But he was with Kennedy now. It felt like I had to let him go all over again. I closed my eyes. For a second today, when I was in his arms, I remembered what we used to have. I’d let myself miss what we had. But there was no going back.
I opened my eyes and stared at my name on the grave. Matt had sat here. Mourning me. Missing me. While I was off living my life.
He never forgot me.
And he’d never forgive me.