Chapter 29
Letters From Teddy
Dear Ariel,
I am so sorry for hurting you. In an effort to earn your forgiveness, I’m going to write you a letter every day until you speak to me again. You don’t have to forgive me, but I’m a selfish man that misses hearing your voice.
When you first showed up, the first thing I noticed was your eyes. They had so much pain, but also so much hope. They made me want to hope again, and now I am.
Things I’m hoping for:
That you find peace again
That you smile again
That you can forgive me someday
It may not seem like it now, but I know that one day you will find peace and healing. I know you, and I know that you’re a fighter. I believe that one day you will take all that pain in you and tell it to fuck off.
I Love You
Teddy
Dear Ariel,
I think the first time I realized I was falling for you was when I heard your laugh. It was like a sweet melody. The sound of your laughter has nothing on Beethoven or Mozart. When I close my eyes sometimes, I can hear it, and it feels me with joy.
I hope that you will find your laugh again.
I Love You
Teddy
Dear Ariel,
That last day we had each other, I told you that waking up next to you was my new favorite hobby. It was true. Getting to wake up and seeing you by my side filled me with a giddiness that rivals a schoolboy’s first crush. I’d wake up before you and got to admire everything about you.
Things I got to admire:
Your strength
Your beauty
Your eyes when you first woke up
Your peacefulness
Your soft little snores
YOU
I hope that one day, I’ll get to do that again.
I Love You
Teddy
Dear Ariel,
I’m not going to lie, after you left, I started reading all your favorite books. It was very eye opening in more ways than one.
First off, I learned the definition of Smut. Very interesting. I’m not saying I took notes, but I’m saying that I took notes.
Now, can I just say that I get it? Reading about all these strong women allowing themselves to be vulnerable with these book boyfriends is very amazing. But more amazing than that is the way these book boyfriends treat them. I found myself falling in love with them myself.
I hope that one day I’m back in your life and make sure you know that you are valued, cared for, loved, and that you never have to doubt me.
I Love You
Teddy
Dear Ariel,
In an effort to be vulnerable with you, I want to tell you a little bit more about me. When I was seven, my mom died. She had cancer, and watching her wither away was one of the hardest things I had to do in my life. After that, Harley helped raised me. He was older, and dad was trying so hard, but he was in so much pain and needed help. Harley was always a good brother, and it kills me that I believed it when he was framed for Gwen’s murder. I hope that one day, he can open up to us again.
The year after my mom died, Dad took me to the Kentucky Derby. He sat me down and pointed at every horse and was able to tell me everything about them. He said that it was important to remember all these horses and their achievements because at least one of them would end up on our ranch. I admired the way he cared about the horses, and I can only hope I’m doing as much good as he did.
I Love You
Teddy
Dear Ariel,
I heard about this new book and thought of you. By the way, Booktok is crazy scary. The number of videos I got lost in. Do you realize how much books have the ‘Touch Her and Die’ trope? It’s way more than a hundred. And also, what the fuck is a Mafia Romance, and why have so many readers become addicted to it? Have you read Mafia Romance? Do you expect me to kill someone for you? If so, officially that’s a fucking crime. Unofficially, give me a name and address. I think you know at this point that I will do anything for you at this point. Just name it.
I Love You
Teddy
Dear Ariel,
I’m going to be gone the next couple of days. When I return, I will give you a letter for each day I am gone.
I Love You
Teddy