Chapter 16
Jason
“Fuck, the sun is too bright for this shit this morning.”
I stood on the golf course, the morning sun casting a warm glow over the dew-kissed grass, but the beauty of the day felt lost on me. I squinted against the light, my head pounding, remnants of last night's poor choices ringing painfully in my skull, after reading Vivienne’s resignation email for what seemed like a hundred times.
With every swing of the club, I fought against the emotional turmoil inside. I could hear Lucas calling my name, the concern lacing my best friend's voice just a step behind me.
"Jason, are you alright?" Lucas asked, his brow furrowing as he took in my disheveled appearance. The faded baseball cap shading my eyes did little to hide the storm brewing beneath. It wasn’t just the hangover; it was everything that weighed on me. Jaxon. Jace. Vivienne. Leslie. Even the pending shit hitting the fans at the office.
“Let’s talk,” Lucas added, a hint of urgency in his tone. I nodded, resigning myself to the inevitable. I knew this conversation was coming; Lucas had always been the one to try and pull me from the depths.
As we walked the trail between holes, the crisp air filled with tension, my mind raced. Finally, I halted mid-step, a wave of vulnerability crashing over me.
“I’m a mess, Lucas,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I love Vivienne, even though she’s married to another man, but I can’t shake the feeling that I'm betraying Leslie’s memory. What kind of man does that?”
Lucas stopped, his expression both empathetic and resolute. “You’re not betraying her, Jason. You’re human. You’re alive. And love isn’t a finite resource. It doesn’t diminish your love for Leslie or your boys,” he said softly, laying a hand on my shoulder. “It’s time to stop punishing yourself and start living again.”
I felt those words cut through the fog of despair clinging to me. There was a truth there—raw and painful yet strangely illuminating. My heart ached for both the past I couldn’t change and the possibility that lay before me.
But just as hope flickered within me, the silence shattered with an incoming text. Vivienne’s voice echoed ominously in my mind, but before I could process it, the phone's screen illuminated with a frantic message:
Robert has been in a bad motorcycle accident. It’s bad, Jason. I didn’t know who to reach out to. I’m home now. But it was so bad. He’s gone, Jason. He’s gone. What do I do now?
Thought of her joy turned to ashes as I read the words. It felt surreal, as if the world had come to a halt.
Before I even finished reading, my instincts kicked in. I looked up at Lucas and quickly told him that I had to leave. He would understand after I explained to him later. I didn’t have time to right now. Without a moment’s hesitation, I turned and rushed to my car, the urgency propelling me forward. I had to be there for her—no matter what it took.
As I sped towards Vivienne’s house, My heart raced, not only from anxiety for her but from the crushing realization of how fleeting life could be. Each thud of my pulse echoed the truth that in the face of love and loss, every moment counted.