Page 103 of When Forever Falls Apart

My mind spins, the gravity of his statement freezing me to the spot. “What? You’re leaving for France?” The shock in my voice is raw, tinged with a deep, gnawing hurt. “When were you going to tell me?”

Elliot avoids my gaze for a moment, but then he angles his face, allowing his blue eyes to lock onto mine with a silent plea in their depths. “I need to do this, Madelina.”

I jump to my feet, my arms crossing defensively over my chest, as if that can shield me from the pain he’s purposely inflicting. “So, that’s it? You tell me you’re in love with me and then bolt off to France?”

In an instant, Elliot stands. His expression softens and he reaches out, cradling my face in his hands. His touch ignites my skin like a wildfire, both intoxicating and torturous. I swallow hard, a lump lodged deep in my throat, as tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I realize just how far I’ve fallen for a man who never intended to stay in the first place.

“Please,Bugs. Understand that I need to do this for me,” he implores, his voice a hushed whisper that barely cuts through my despair. “If I stay, I’m scared I’ll resent not at least trying to chase what I’ve wanted for the longest time. I worked hard, sacrificed so much to get recognized in France. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

I immerse myself in the depths of his blue eyes, letting warmth envelop me one last time, a fleeting illusion of comfort. I had thought that leaving Myles at the altar would be the hardest thing I’d ever have to do.

But this? This is a hundred times harder.

It fucking hurts, and I hate him for making me bleed for him.

Slowly, I pry his hands from my face. “Then understand, I never want to see you again, Elliot.” I take a step back, creating the necessary distance even though my heart feels like it’s being yanked from my chest. Each step away from him tightens the grip of anguish, suffocating me.

This is our ending, our finale, our final chapter.

Our story is officially over.

The moment I disembark from the boat, I fumble for my phone, my hands trembling as I type out a message to my father through tear-blurred vision. The resentment is driving me to the depths of despair. If he hadn’t gotten involved, I wouldn’t be standing here right now in the worst pain of my life.

Me

We’re done. Game over, you’ve won. You’ve successfully lost everyone who loved you.

With a quick tap, I block his number, severing the last thread that connects us.

The damage is done.

My heart feels as if it has shattered into a million jagged pieces, each one cutting deeper than the last. Inside my car,I press my forehead against the steering wheel. The sobs rack my body like violent waves crashing against the shore, my breath hitching painfully with each suppressed cry.

This pain is crippling me.

Once again, I have to start over.

CHAPTER 28Madelina

Six Months Later

“I really should start charging you overtime with the number of boxes I’m delivering each week,” Tony, my regular driver, says with a chuckle as he effortlessly maneuvers the last two large cartons through the store’s entrance.

As he sets them down with a thud, I flash him a grateful smile, a hint of warmth piercing through the exhaustion that has settled over me. I have a love-hate relationship with deliveries. Opening each carton is like Christmas morning—the anticipation and excitement are palpable. However, the aftermath of packing cartons and paper filler is my least favorite part, all because it involves lugging them to the recycling bin.

But I wouldn’t swap this for anything in the world.

Taking a deep breath, I turn my gaze toward the towering stacks of boxes that loom over me. Tony quickly offers his condolences, a running joke between us, then waves goodbye.

As the door chimes closed, I sit back for a moment and take it all in.

My dream.

Five months ago, I signed the lease and opened my very own romance bookstore right next to Donuts Ever After. After several conversations with Eva and Billie, we settled on“Books Ever After.” It’s not just a bookstore selling romance titles. We have special editions and hardbacks, with beautiful sprayed edges and foiled covers, plus cute bookish merchandise curated for any book enthusiast.

From there, my vision burst into life, even amid the chaos of my personal circumstances. The reality is, I miss Elliot every single minute of every single day, but nothing can change the fact that he chose to go back to France.

So, I got straight into it, channeling my heartache into making the store something unique. From the palm green paint on the wall, to the pink neon sign perched above the brown Chesterfield lounge, every single detail was thought out. Instead of sitting around waiting for the universe to give me a break, I decided to take things into my own hands.