Chapter 23
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
ADDISON
I used my lipstick to leave the boys a note on the bathroom mirror before slipping out at sunrise. It wasn’t long, just a single line: I can’t say goodbye, so think of this as my see-you-soon. I love you.
I knew I couldn’t stand there and watch them leave.
And honestly, I think it would’ve been just as difficult for them—especially Roman.
After everything that happened between us, after falling back into him so easily, so completely…
being in his arms again felt like coming home.
I felt like I’d finally returned to where I was always meant to be.
I believe I was always meant to be theirs.
Nothing and no one is going to make me feel ashamed of that. Not the past or the distance. Not even the disapproval I know is coming from my parents. I’m done pretending, I’m done hiding, and I’m going to own what I feel because this time, I’m not letting it go.
The minute I stepped through my front door this morning, I opened my laptop and fired off an email to a lawyer. I need this divorce more than I need air. It doesn’t matter where I am; I just need this marriage to stop trailing behind me like a storm cloud.
Next on my list is the bookstore.
God, my bookstore.
Eternal Chapter has been my sanctuary for years now.
The smell of pages, the warmth of worn leather chairs, and the quiet shuffle of readers moving through the aisles searching for their next book boyfriend.
I especially love being here around the holidays.
I string fairy lights across the windows and set out cinnamon sticks by the register, hoping the scent might coax a smile from the regulars.
It’s saved me more times than I care to admit.
My chest tightens as everything I’ve worked for threatens to slip through my fingers.
But if I had to choose—if the universe forced my hand—I’d sacrifice it all for them.
Jasper, with his wild, unapologetic love—the kind that borders on obsession and possession.
He loves me like I’m it for him, like there’s no version of his future that doesn’t include me, and he makes damn sure I know it.
It’s unfiltered, intense, all-consuming—the kind of love that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.
And it terrifies me how much I crave it.
Zeke is the stillness after the storm. The calm in the chaos. He sees everything, feels everything, and always knows exactly what I need before I even ask. His love is quiet but absolute. He doesn’t ask for anything but my peace, and with him, I always find it.
Then there’s Roman. He’s never stopped knowing me, not really.
Not when I tried to pull away, not when life tried to wedge space between us.
He’s the one who reminds me, without ever saying it out loud, that I’m his world.
He’d rip the stars from the sky if I so much as asked, because with him, it’s not just love—it’s always and everything.
My phone is a mess of reminders right now.
Pack boxes. Call the utilities. Meet with the realtor.
Sign the papers. Cancel the auto debits.
Every task checked off gets me one step closer to them, and if I can get everything in order and tie up every last string, I’ll finally be able to walk away from this town and run straight into the life waiting for me on the other side.
It’s been a full, jam-packed, emotional roller coaster of a day—the kind where you’re constantly swinging between exhaustion and excitement. Now, I’m sitting in my parents’ living room, surrounded by decades of memories and twinkling Christmas lights, staring at the stockings hung along the mantel.
I’m just waiting for Willow to arrive.
My sister knows about the divorce and about my men. What she doesn’t know is that I’m leaving, and I know that’s going to hurt her.
Ten minutes later, she walks through the front door, calling out a quick hello as she shrugs off her coat. Thankfully, she’s alone. I’m guessing Warren has their kids until tomorrow.
She steps into the living room, eyes bouncing between all of us. “Well, you three look weird,” she says, raising an eyebrow.
“Thanks,” I say with a nervous laugh, trying to play it off even as my palms start to sweat.
“Addison’s got something to talk to us about,” my mom chimes in quickly, but it’s my dad who reaches for my hand, and suddenly my heart is thudding in my chest.
Willow narrows her gaze, tilting her head. “Wait… has this got anything to do with…”
“Yeah,” I say softly, nodding.
She lets out a low whistle, then leans in and whispers, “Dad knows you’re with them.”
“Traitor,” I murmur back, but there’s no real bite in it. Not when I glance at my dad and see it written all over his face that he’s okay with this. There’s no anger or confusion, only support.
“Can somebody please tell me what’s going on?” my mom says again, sounding more anxious as the seconds pass.
“Yeah… I, uh…” I swallow. “I’m leaving.”
“Wait, what?” Willow blurts, her eyes going wide with shock. My dad just smiles and rises from his seat, still holding my hand. “Where are you going?”
“She’s leaving for Boston,” he says, answering before I can. “And it’s about damn time.”