Chapter 60
Ben, April 18
“Sorry about him. Honestly, he’s a great guy, but he can be a bit… intense.” I feel a flush of embarrassment. Did Zach suspect this was the American we’d been talking about?
“It’s alright. He’s nothing I can’t handle.” Her eyes sparkle, and I swear it’s like she’s laughing at some private joke I haven’t been let in on.
“Liz, why are you here?”
“Let’s just say,” she begins carefully, “things haven’t quite gone the way I imagined.”
I can’t help it. My eyes drift to the belly. I quickly look back at her face to avoid being caught, but her gaze has already followed mine. She rubs her belly gently as she continues.
“When I found out I was pregnant, Matt was suddenly so supportive. He talked about marriage and a future. He even thought we should move in together.”
My mind fights for a place to rest. I look away from the evidence of their life together and focus on the beautiful, confident woman sitting across from me—a woman I’ve never stopped thinking about.
“I guess before we lived together it was easier to pretend he was attentive. I didn’t fully notice how much he wasn’t around, how much he valued his job.”
What is she getting at? I’m happy to see her, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit here praising Matt. Where is her ring, anyway?
She sighs, rubbing her hands over her belly again. “He was so condescending when we were together. The little things started to really annoy me. He treated me like a child. Like… ” She searches for the word, her gaze wandering. “… like glass.” Her eyes lock on mine. “Do you know how that feels?”
I can’t look away. Something about her tone tells me I might need to hear this. “Not really,” I croak, “but I can imagine.”
“Well, it’s terrible.” She shifts, turning her attention back to the belly. “When I found the ring—”
The realization hits me like a punch. “Oh my God. You were pregnant when I talked to you?” I try to replay the phone call in my mind, hunting for clues I missed.
Liz giggles. “I had a big sweatshirt on. I didn’t think to tell you. I’m sorry.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t notice,” I mutter. It seems impossible she could hide that.
“I wasn’t quite this big, silly. Anyway, when I found the ring I panicked. How could I agree to marry someone who was always at work and leave my child with an absentee father?”
I realize she might be recounting a breakup, but it feels as though she’s telling this story as much for herself as for me. I let her continue uninterrupted.
“I left the ring out for him to see, and we fought. I told him he was married to work, that he needed to make me, make this baby, a priority. He promised. Right there. He swore he would.”
She pauses. I prompt gently, “And?”
“Less than 24 hours later, he proved it was a lie. The very next day, he stayed late at work. He stood me up for dinner.” Her voice is calm, even.
“Aren’t you mad?” I ask. I would be. Matt should be glad he isn’t here.
“I was. But since then I’ve realized it wasn’t meant to be.”
I scoff at her. “Are you talking about fate? You believe in fate?”
“Absolutely. Don’t you?”
“I… don’t know. Not really.” How could I, Mr. Single-and-Alone, believe in destiny? “So you believe it was your fate to bring a baby into this world this way?” I hedge, careful.
She considers it, biting her lower lip. There’s wisdom in her face now that wasn’t there before. “Yes. I may not fully understand why yet, but I have to believe this is my destiny.”
“That is an interesting theory.” Silence stretches between us. I wonder if she see me in this destiny too? I’m afraid to ask, even if I know what answer I want.
“I hope you don’t mind that I’m here.” She interrupts my thoughts with a small smile.
“What?” I shake my head. “No, of course not. But what exactly are you doing here?”
“I’m not entirely sure. Haven’t you ever done something that felt right without stopping to consider the consequences?”
Have I ever? “Yes,” I admit quietly.
“Did it work out for you?”
“Not like I planned.”
“Would you tell me the story?” She curls her legs beneath her, settling in for the long haul.
Time to be honest, once and for all. Consequences be damned. “Well, it began with this girl.” I ease into the story, because this one deserves the full telling.
“Doesn’t it always?” she teases.
“Absolutely. But this was no ordinary girl.”
Her eyebrows rise. Intrigued.
“I realized I would do anything for this particular girl.”
“Anything?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“Amazing. Lucky girl.” Her smile softens, dreamy.
“She could’ve been lucky, but I never told her how I felt.” My cheeks heat. Somehow that makes it easier to continue.
“Why not?” I glance at her. Her voice cracked, subtle but unmistakable. Did she know the girl was her?
“I guess I feared it could never work. Not telling her felt safer than risking rejection.” I think back to the reunion, to her polite dismissal. Perhaps I was right to be cautious—but here I am, taking the leap anyway.
“So that’s it? You never told her?”
Her question draws me back. “No. Never telling her is where the story begins. See, this girl trusted me, asked my opinion on her relationships, leaned on me in ways she didn’t even know she needed. I promised myself I’d step aside if the right guy came along. Then one day she mentioned someone who sounded perfect, and I—”
Her eyes water. “You did something crazy?”
“For her,” I correct softly. “I did it for the woman I loved.”
She is quiet, a tear rolling down her cheek. I reach out, loosely holding her hand.
“I’m sorry, Liz. I honestly thought it was best. I never imagined he would hurt you.”
“You should’ve told me,” she whispers, squeezing my hand tighter.
I watch her carefully, taking in the mixture of strength and vulnerability. She meets my eyes, smiles, brushes stray tears away. “No regrets.”
“Excuse me?”
“Life is too short for regrets. I don’t want to have any. I’m choosing to live in the now, do what’s right, and not dwell on how it turns out.”
“That’s a good idea,” I admit. “So, do you forgive me for not telling you sooner?”
“Absolutely.” Her smile is radiant. “I can forgive you for what’s in the past and we can move forward. Now, if I came all this way and didn’t do this, I’d be sad.” She leans forward and kisses me lightly.