Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral - Chapter 55: Chapter 55
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Ethan pulled Riley behind him protectively.
Her hand instinctively gripped his tight.
Blake couldn't tear his eyes away from their joined hands.
Pain crushed his chest until he could barely breathe.
But he still couldn't give up.
As she turned to leave, he called out desperately.
Blake's voice broke, coming out hoarse and shattered. "Riley, I screwed up so bad. I never knew you mattered this much to me—that I literally can't live without you."
"I don't blame you for marrying him. I was an idiot for taking so long to figure this out. Just give me one shot. One chance to prove I can be better."
Riley didn't turn around, but she could feel Ethan's hand shaking in hers.
He was terrified.
Because he had no idea if Riley would still pick him now that Blake was finally begging for her.
But then Riley's grip tightened around his fingers, steadying him.
Their eyes met with a wordless understanding that felt completely right.
"Blake, loving you already killed me once. I'm done. I'll never love you again."
"Just pretend the girl who wors-hipped you is dead and buried."
Riley walked out with Ethan by her side.
The second they got in the car, Ethan lost all control. He pulled her against him in the backseat, kissing her like his life depended on it.
The desperation in his kiss nearly knocked the wind out of her.
He kissed her like he was trying to pour his entire soul into her through his lips.
When they broke apart, both of them were gasping. Riley's face was flushed, her lips swollen.
"Riley, I love you."
His sudden confession caught her completely off guard.
"Riley, I love you!"
Ethan said again and his voice got louder. Riley quickly covered his mouth with her hand, blushing hard. "I know."
"No, you don't." Ethan gently took her hand in his.
"Riley, I love you!"
His declaration of love echoed inside and outside the car.
Seeing him with his heart completely on his sleeve, Riley opened her arms and pulled him close.
"Ethan, I love you too."
And she meant it.
Blake came outside just in time to hear their exchange.
His eyes went red as he stumbled away, trying to hide.
After returning to the city, Blake was like a ghost of himself.
He spent every day holed up in the house he'd shared with Riley.
Memories played on repeat like a slideshow he couldn't turn off.
That couch where Riley used to curl up with her books.
The succulents on the balcony she'd babied—still thriving even without her.
The massage chair in his office that she'd bought because she worried about him working too hard.
The pots and pans in the kitchen, her toiletries still in the bathroom.
Riley's presence had seeped into every corner of his life.
What kind of bullshit "buddy" relationship had they really had?
Blake had been treating Riley like his woman all along.
He'd get jealous when other guys looked at her, and her happiness had always made him happy too.
He'd fallen in love with Riley years ago.
He just hadn't been honest with himself about it.
Blake found a stash of love letters Riley had written him, hidden in the back corner of his office.
Reading through them, he realized she'd written thousands of these.
But he'd only found a handful.
He immediately thought about that night he'd caught her burning something in their backyard.
It must have been all those letters.
Blake clutched the box of letters to his chest and sobbed like a broken child.
His phone had been ringing nonstop.
After several days of no one hearing from Blake, Marcus couldn't take it anymore.
He had someone break the lock and forced his way into Blake's house.
Blake was passed out drunk on the cold floor, still holding those letters.
Marcus pulled back the curtains, letting sunlight stream across Blake's exhausted face. Tears were still sliding down his cheeks.
"Marcus, she doesn't want me anymore."
Seeing Blake like this made Marcus's chest tight with pain.
The man lying on the floor covered his face and wept.
The sound of his broken sobs was heartbreaking.
Marcus had gotten an anonymous wedding invitation that day too, but he'd been traveling for work and hadn't thought much of it.
Now he realized it must have been from Riley—after everything, she'd still considered him a friend.
He never thought the three of them would end up like this.
Maybe Riley should never have agreed to marry Blake in the first place.
Her hand instinctively gripped his tight.
Blake couldn't tear his eyes away from their joined hands.
Pain crushed his chest until he could barely breathe.
But he still couldn't give up.
As she turned to leave, he called out desperately.
Blake's voice broke, coming out hoarse and shattered. "Riley, I screwed up so bad. I never knew you mattered this much to me—that I literally can't live without you."
"I don't blame you for marrying him. I was an idiot for taking so long to figure this out. Just give me one shot. One chance to prove I can be better."
Riley didn't turn around, but she could feel Ethan's hand shaking in hers.
He was terrified.
Because he had no idea if Riley would still pick him now that Blake was finally begging for her.
But then Riley's grip tightened around his fingers, steadying him.
Their eyes met with a wordless understanding that felt completely right.
"Blake, loving you already killed me once. I'm done. I'll never love you again."
"Just pretend the girl who wors-hipped you is dead and buried."
Riley walked out with Ethan by her side.
The second they got in the car, Ethan lost all control. He pulled her against him in the backseat, kissing her like his life depended on it.
The desperation in his kiss nearly knocked the wind out of her.
He kissed her like he was trying to pour his entire soul into her through his lips.
When they broke apart, both of them were gasping. Riley's face was flushed, her lips swollen.
"Riley, I love you."
His sudden confession caught her completely off guard.
"Riley, I love you!"
Ethan said again and his voice got louder. Riley quickly covered his mouth with her hand, blushing hard. "I know."
"No, you don't." Ethan gently took her hand in his.
"Riley, I love you!"
His declaration of love echoed inside and outside the car.
Seeing him with his heart completely on his sleeve, Riley opened her arms and pulled him close.
"Ethan, I love you too."
And she meant it.
Blake came outside just in time to hear their exchange.
His eyes went red as he stumbled away, trying to hide.
After returning to the city, Blake was like a ghost of himself.
He spent every day holed up in the house he'd shared with Riley.
Memories played on repeat like a slideshow he couldn't turn off.
That couch where Riley used to curl up with her books.
The succulents on the balcony she'd babied—still thriving even without her.
The massage chair in his office that she'd bought because she worried about him working too hard.
The pots and pans in the kitchen, her toiletries still in the bathroom.
Riley's presence had seeped into every corner of his life.
What kind of bullshit "buddy" relationship had they really had?
Blake had been treating Riley like his woman all along.
He'd get jealous when other guys looked at her, and her happiness had always made him happy too.
He'd fallen in love with Riley years ago.
He just hadn't been honest with himself about it.
Blake found a stash of love letters Riley had written him, hidden in the back corner of his office.
Reading through them, he realized she'd written thousands of these.
But he'd only found a handful.
He immediately thought about that night he'd caught her burning something in their backyard.
It must have been all those letters.
Blake clutched the box of letters to his chest and sobbed like a broken child.
His phone had been ringing nonstop.
After several days of no one hearing from Blake, Marcus couldn't take it anymore.
He had someone break the lock and forced his way into Blake's house.
Blake was passed out drunk on the cold floor, still holding those letters.
Marcus pulled back the curtains, letting sunlight stream across Blake's exhausted face. Tears were still sliding down his cheeks.
"Marcus, she doesn't want me anymore."
Seeing Blake like this made Marcus's chest tight with pain.
The man lying on the floor covered his face and wept.
The sound of his broken sobs was heartbreaking.
Marcus had gotten an anonymous wedding invitation that day too, but he'd been traveling for work and hadn't thought much of it.
Now he realized it must have been from Riley—after everything, she'd still considered him a friend.
He never thought the three of them would end up like this.
Maybe Riley should never have agreed to marry Blake in the first place.
End of Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral Chapter 55. Continue reading Chapter 56 or return to Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral book page.