Chapter 59: Moving

Tuli

~What have I done?~

~What on earth have I just done?~

Tears blurred my vision. I’d always thought ending a bad relationship was supposed to bring relief.

So why was I feeling so damn sad?

~Because you just shattered the heart of the one you love~, my inner voice whispered.

I shook my head. ~He lied. He cheated. How could that ever be a good relationship?~

No, my baby and I were better off without him. He could still visit, after all.

My hand instinctively went to my belly. My baby would hardly ever see him, and that thought broke my heart.

Maybe I was wrong. But I didn’t think so. I just couldn’t trust him anymore.

The door creaked open and Megan and Daniel walked in, their faces unreadable.

“Tuli,” Megan sighed, a bit too dramatically, causing the nurse to poke her head in.

“Please, don’t raise your voice at the patients,” she told Megan. “I’ll have to ask you to leave if you do it again.”

She left and Megan rubbed her temples.

“Tuli, listen. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but... I know Jayce hurt you, but do you really think he’d be stupid enough to cheat on you?”

“I saw it, Megan,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at her. “If you were in my position, you’d understand.”

“He said he was asleep,” she countered. “Didn’t you notice the bags under his eyes? His pale skin? He looked like a depressed Edward Cullen, and that’s not a good look.”

I paused. He did look exhausted. “I didn’t think about that,” I admitted, my voice soft.

“No. But you know what? Before his ex-wife showed up, he had this really cheesy but sweet plan to propose to you. If you’d seen his backyard and heard all the romantic stuff he wanted to say, you would’ve said yes. Because deep down, you’d know that idiot loves you more than anything else in the world.”

I sighed and glanced at Daniel, who was unusually quiet. “Cat got your tongue?”

He sighed. “I’ve been itching to kick that idiot’s ass ever since I found out he was Adam. But I don’t have the heart to do it now. It’d be like kicking him when he’s already down.”

He looked me straight in the eyes. “Believe it or not, he’s wrapped around your little finger, sis.”

Tears welled up in my eyes and I quickly wiped them away.

“It’s probably too late now. I didn’t believe him, I didn’t tell him about the baby, and I broke his heart. All in one day.”

“Maybe you could call him,” Megan suggested gently.

“Maybe,” I agreed. “I just need some time alone right now, though. I’ll talk to you later?”

Megan nodded and gave me a hug, careful not to hurt my bandaged arm. Daniel kissed my forehead.

“Daniel?” I called out before he left.

“Yeah?”

“You do realize if Jayce and I get back together, you’re gonna have to suck it up?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I know. But that jerk better show up to my bachelor party.”

My eyebrows shot up as I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. He smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him. I picked up my phone and stared at the lock screen.

It was a picture of Jayce making a goofy face.

One day while we were hanging out, he got bored, hacked my phone, took a bunch of selfies, and saved the best one. It always made me laugh.

Even now, it made me want to smile, despite feeling so low. I decided I was going to try calling him.

I scrolled through my contacts and dialed his number. He must have declined my call because it rang once, then went to voicemail.

Tears stung my eyes and I turned off my phone, setting it down on the table next to me. I guess he didn’t want to talk to me.

I pulled the thin blanket up over me and tried to fall asleep, letting the tears fall freely onto the hospital pillow.

***

It was Wednesday, two days before the fall semester ended. My arm was slowly healing, but still in a sling.

I hadn’t started showing yet, but the doctor said it was too early. He was having me in for regular checkups.

I told him I was almost certain the person who hit me didn’t do it by accident. That look on her face when she drove past me? It couldn’t have been an accident.

The police got involved and I told them what I knew. They said they would question her, but for now there wasn’t much they could do.

Jayce and I hadn’t spoken in two weeks. I was too scared to call him after he declined my call that day.

It was probably for the best, considering how awkward it was trying to sit through his class without making eye contact.

Every time he dismissed the class, I would bolt out the door just to avoid him. I don’t know how I managed to do that for almost two weeks, but I did. I did everything I could to avoid him.

Liza told me not to come in for work until I was fully healed, but this week I was going stir-crazy, only going to school and back home. I practically begged her to let me come into work until she agreed.

“You can help me design a banner for our next book reading,” she told me with a sigh.

Megan dropped me off and now here I was, sitting at the desk helping Liza make a cool banner. The bell on the door rang, signaling that someone had come in. Liza glanced at the clock and sighed.

“Maggie’s still on her lunch break,” she said, “would you mind going to greet whoever came in?”

“Sure,” I told her, stepping out from behind the desk to greet the customer, but when I saw who it was, I froze.

“Hi,” I managed to choke out, past the lump that had formed in my throat.

Jayce shot me a quick look, murmuring a soft “hey” before he turned his attention back to the bookshelves. He was avoiding me, and it stung.

I held back the tears threatening to spill as I made my way back to the desk. Liza, with her face lined with years of wisdom, looked up at me, her eyes filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Just my ex,” I whispered, taking my place behind the desk.

She pressed her lips together, choosing not to say anything. Instead, she turned her attention back to the computer screen.

The bell above the door chimed again, and I turned to greet the newcomer. A petite blonde with pigtails and round reading glasses stood in the doorway. “Hi,” I greeted her, “how can I help you?”

“Hi, Tuli,” she replied, her face lighting up with a smile. “I’m Ashley. We go to the same school.”

I returned her smile, albeit a small one. “Oh, hi. What can I do for you?”

She held out a stack of papers. “I work for the school newspaper, and my boss asked me to see if you guys could hang these up. We want to make sure the students know their teacher is leaving.”

“Really?” I asked, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “Who?”

She let out a sigh. “Mr. Mitchell. Apparently, he told the dean a week ago that he had other plans. He’s leaving once the semester ends. He’s moving to England. We want to make sure students get a chance to say goodbye.”

My breath hitched in my throat, and my gaze involuntarily flicked to Jayce, who was engrossed in a book, oblivious to our conversation. I quickly turned back to Ashley and nodded, extending my hand to take the papers.

“Sure, I’ll have someone hang them up.”

“Thanks,” she said, handing over the papers. With a skip in her step, she left the store, and I returned to the desk, my heart heavy.

I dropped the papers on the desk, and Liza hummed in response. “He’s leaving.”

“I know,” I replied.

“No, I mean he’s leaving the store.”

My heart jumped into my throat, and she smirked at me. “If I were you, I’d tell him how you feel now. Give him a couple of days to think it over.”

Without wasting a moment, I rushed out the door. I broke into a run when I saw his retreating figure. He was unlocking his car door, about to get in, when I called out.

“Jayce!”

He looked up, surprise etched on his face. I reached him, slammed his car door shut, and threw my good arm around his neck, pressing my lips to his. He was too shocked to respond. When I pulled away, he let out a breath.

“What was that about?”

Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over. “Don’t go. Don’t leave. Please. I need you.”

He let out a sigh and kissed me gently. “I have to go. I have a job offer in England.”

I clung to him tighter, my tears flowing freely. “Jayce,” I hiccupped, “I want to marry you. Please don’t leave me to take care of the baby by myself. She needs her daddy, too.”

His eyes widened, and he leaned in to kiss me again. It was a gentle kiss at first, but it grew more desperate, as if he was afraid I’d vanish from his grasp. He pulled away and pressed his forehead against mine.

“How can I say no to the love of my life when she’s standing here, pregnant with my child, crying for me?”

I calmed down a bit, wondering if this meant he’d stay. His fingertips brushed away my tears.

“How about a compromise?” he suggested. When I looked at him, confused, he explained, “Come with me.”

“Really?”

He gave me a soft smile and nodded. “Marry me and move with me. We’ll get a little house and raise the baby together. You can go to school while I teach, although you may have to go to a different college,” he added with a soft chuckle.

“But what about your sister? What about Megan and Daniel? What about my dad?” I asked, my heart heavy with concern.

I could live anywhere with Jayce, but the thought of leaving my family behind was saddening.

“Well, my sister’s coming with me. I’m the only family she has. And we’ll make sure to visit your family as often as we can.

“But,” he added, his hands on my shoulders, his voice firm, “if you don’t want to move to England, I’ll tell them I changed my mind. Because I’d rather stay here with you than be alone in England.”

I thought for a moment. I felt selfish for asking him to stay. But it didn’t mean I’d never see my family again. So, I made my decision.

“Okay,” I said, smiling through my tears. “I want to go with you, Jayce. I’ll go anywhere as long as it’s with you.”

His eyes lit up, and he smiled. He got down on one knee. He didn’t have a ring, but it didn’t matter.

“Tuli,” he said softly, “I love you more than anything, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Tears filled my eyes again, but this time, they were tears of joy. I nodded.

“Yes, Jayce. I will marry you!”

He stood up and pulled me into his arms, his lips finding every inch of my face.

“I love you so much, Tuli,” he said before pressing his lips against mine.

He wiped away my tears once more. “You cry so much,” he said with a laugh, although there were tears in his eyes, too.

“Look who’s talking,” I giggled, brushing away his tears with my thumb. “I love you, Jayce. I always will.”