Page 22 of Friends That Heal Us
He shakes his head, running his hand down his face in disbelief. “And you say you felt relief? Even with Zay?”
My throat tightens as I look away. That one stung harder than it did with Rya. He was my best friend. More like a brother to me. But things shifted over the years. I thought it was just me. Is that my problem? I need to stop blaming myself for everything?
I replay all the short replies or dismissals of anything personal I would bring up to him. He always chalked it up asif it wasn’t a big deal or I was making it a big deal. He always got into my head and made me question a lot. Never did I think he would betray me like this. Even after his smart-ass remarks about opening up our own mechanic shop. I still never thought he would do what he did. To me or to Violet.
I shrug my shoulders. “A lot has changed over the years,” I say, leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Was I really this blind?”
“No, Son. You see the best in people.”
“I’m wondering if seeing the best in people is a smart thing. I mean, look what happened.”
“It’s a great quality to have. But unfortunately, sometimes people take advantage of it,” he says, resting a hand on my shoulder, giving a small squeeze. “Never change your good qualities because of the people who never deserved them. You’ll find the right people who deserve it. And everything you went through with the ones that didn’t deserve it will make it all worth it for the ones that do.”
His words sink in deep. My mind drifts to her—Violet. The one person who has always shown her genuine self. She’s always been there for people without expecting anything in return. The person who has always made me feel like I’ve mattered. She is nothing like the other two. She’s never taken advantage of my kindness.
As I sit here next to my dad, I let his words sink even deeper. He’s right. I need to give my loyalty to the people who deserve it. Theonethat has never made me feel less of myself. TheoneI truly feel like it should have always been.
CHAPTER TWELVE
VIOLET
I’ve been workingnon-stop all weekend trying to get all my orders done. I keep falling behind because of the stupid people I used to call my friend and husband. Now it’s Sunday, and I’ve been scrambling from morning until night all weekend. Ezra has been busy both days moving his stuff into a storage unit and bringing what he needs over here. I feel bad that I haven’t had time to help him. He goes to work all day and then he goes straight to his townhouse, moving out his stuff.
To make matters worse, his landlord won’t let him break his lease without losing his deposit. He says there is no amount of money that will keep him there.
I don’t blame him.
I look over my list of orders and read over what’s next to bake. While I clear some space on the counter, I hear the front door open and shuffling echoes through. No doubt it’s Ezra.
“Right here.” A man’s voice that I can’t quite place has my head springing up and looking behind me. I hear a thump on the floor.
Ezra’s parents come around the corner. I spot his dad’s green eyes and then look over to his mom. The softness in her eyes and smile outshines everyone. Ezra has a mixture of both his mom and dad. His eyes from his dad and the softness of his features from his mom.
“Hi, Sean and Annie,” I say as I walk over to the sink and quickly wash my hands. “I wasn’t expecting you two. It’s so good to see you.”
“Yeah, I thought we would stop by and say hi. We’ve been helping Ez move all day,” Sean says as I reach in for a hug.
Then I lean toward his mom, and she pulls me into a gentle hug. Her small, delicate frame feels light in my arms. When she lets go, she cups my cheek with her soft palm, her eyes full of warmth. “How are you doing, sweetie?”
“I’m okay,” I manage to say.
“That husband of yours sure fucked this one up.”
“Sean,” Annie says, pivoting towards him with a scowl on her face.
“Dad,” Ez says as he rounds the corner and walks towards us.
My eyes widen at his remark. Not because I’m surprised he’s saying that, but because it’s true. And hearing it aloud draws something deep inside of me. Even when I’m hard on myself and falling into self-doubt, wondering what I could have done differently, or why I wasn’t enough for him. There’s a quiet voice inside that knows better. I was a good wife. I gave him my love. I always stood by his side. Sometimes the hurt and betrayal get so loud, it drowns out the truth. It’s hard to keep it on the surface of my mind when the weight of everything that went wrong keeps pulling me under. But hearing those words keeps my heart from constricting in pain.
“I’m sorry,” Ez mouths.
I slightly shake my head, letting him know it’s okay.
“At least you two have each other,” Sean says.
I look back over at Ez, and we both smile at each other. He’s right. At least I have Ezra. He’s been here for me in the middle of all my chaos, even with his own going on. He’s the reason I’ve kept it together. The one who held me when I needed it, and reminded me of my worth when I couldn’t see it myself. There’s comfort in knowing he didn’t have to be there for me, but he chose to be. I don’t know where I would be without him—lost and constantly overthinking, and crying my eyes out night after night. His presence grounds me in a way I haven’t had in a while.
“We should let her get back to work,” Ezra says.
