Page 53 of Love, Second Chances and Other Nonsense
We walk up the drive, and Adam takes a half-step forward before stopping himself. His eyes never leave my face, hungry and desperate. Up close, he looks even worse, like he hasn’t slept in days.
“Caitlin,” he says again, like my name is the only word he remembers.
Uncle Peter moves to stand beside me, his presence solid and reassuring. “You can talk inside,” he says to Adam, his tone making it clear this isn’t a friendly visit. “In the living room. Where we can see you.”
Adam nods quickly. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”
Aunt Charlene makes a sound that’s half-snort, half-laugh. “Don’t thank us. We’re not doing this for you.” She pushes past him to open the front door, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like “the nerve of some people” under her breath.
Inside, Uncle Peter directs Adam to the couch while Aunt Charlene bustles around, pointedly not offering refreshments. I perch on the armchair across from him, keeping as much distance between us as the small room allows. Uncle Peter remains standing, arms crossed over his chest.
“Before you two talk,” he says, fixing Adam with a hard stare, “let’s get something straight. When Caitlin says it’s time for you to leave, you leave. No arguments, no delays. Understood?”
Adam swallows visibly. “Yes, sir. Absolutely.”
“Good.” My uncle nods, then retreats to the kitchen doorway where he can still see us but gives the illusion of privacy. Aunt Charlene joins him, not even pretending not to listen.
Adam leans forward, elbows on his knees. “Caitlin, I’m so sorry. For everything. You were right about the cruise, about my family, about Millie. All of it.” The words tumble out in arush, like he’s afraid I’ll stop him before he can get them all out. “Going on that cruise was the biggest mistake of my life. I was miserable the entire time, thinking about you, missing you.”
I don’t respond, just watch him with steady eyes. He runs a hand through his hair, making it stand up even more.
“I should have stood up to my mother. I should have put you first. I was a coward, and I hurt you, and I hate myself for it.” His voice cracks on the last words.
“It didn’t look like you were miserable,” I say finally, pulling out my phone. I open Instagram and pass it to him, open to Hailey’s profile. “From what I can see, you were having quite the time.”
He scrolls through the photos, his face growing pale. There he is with Millie on the deck, her arm looped through his. Adam and Millie at dinner, his head bent close to hers. Adam and Millie on a beach, laughing at something off-camera. In every picture, they look like a couple.
“This isn’t…we weren’t…” He struggles to find words. “Hailey and Millie were constantly taking pictures with their phones. I didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t realize how they’d make it look.”
“And how does it look, Adam?”
“Like exactly what they wanted it to look like,” he admits, his shoulders slumping. “Like Millie and I are together.”
“And aren’t you?” I ask, keeping my voice steady even as my heart thumps painfully in my chest.
“No! God, no.” He hands my phone back, his expression desperate. “Caitlin, I’m cutting ties with Millie. Completely. I told her on the cruise that whatever she thought was happening between us wasn’t real and never would be. I won’t let my family treat you badly anymore. I promise.”
I let out a long breath, feeling strangely calm. “Okay, so, one: I have no faith in your promises. And two: that won’t fix what’s broken, Adam.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you still allowed me to be mistreated. You still prioritized Millie over me. You still put everyone else’s feelings ahead of mine.” I lean forward, needing him to understand. “It doesn’t matter what you do in the future. The damage is done. I could never trust you again. Words are easy, and there’s been too many broken promises. I’d always be waiting for the next time, for Millie’s next crisis, for your mother’s next manipulation, for you to choose them over me again.”
“It wouldn’t be like that,” he insists. “I’ve learned my lesson. I swear.”
“Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t,” I shrug. “But I’ve learned mine too. And mine is that I can’t trust you. I can’t trust you to have my back, I can’t trust you to put me first, and you know what? I am completely unwilling to live in Iowa again.” The certainty in my voice surprises even me. “Even if you could somehow make everyone treat me better, even if I could trust that you would always put me first from now on, I know how your family and friends really feel about me. I don’t want to live my life among people who only tolerate me because you’re forcing them to.”
I take a deep breath, gathering courage for my next words. “I need you to listen and really hear what I’m saying, Adam. What we had is over. It’s done. You need to go home, back to Iowa. You have your family there, your family business to run. Your life is there. I’m making a life for myself here. I’m going to work in my family’s restaurant and…” I pause for a moment, hesitating over my next words, “I’m going to buy my grandmother’s house.”
His mouth falls open in shock. Behind him, I see my aunt and uncle exchange surprised glances.
“You’re… buying a house?” Adam asks, his voice faint. “You’re really staying?”
“I am.” The decision crystallizes as I say it.
Adam slumps back against the couch, looking utterly defeated. “I still love you, Caitlin. That hasn’t changed.”
“I know,” I say softly. “But sometimes love isn’t enough. It can’t fix what’s wrong between us. And now it’s time for you to leave.”
