Doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving you here.”
He hesitates but then turns the key and pulls out without saying a word.
I’m not going lie; I sort of like him better that way; sexy and mute. That . . . I can handle.
WE RIDE IN SILENCE FOR about ten minutes before pulling up at the graveyard and he kills the engine. My heart sinks. His hands tighten on the steering wheel as he fights to catch his breath. His emotions are so thick I can almost feel them.
I want to say something, but I don’t. I have a feeling that this moment of silence is needed, so I just sit here and wait for his next move.
Almost five minutes I’ve sat here when he turns to me with a pained look in his eyes. He looks dead inside: tortured and hurt. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He hops out of the truck and I don’t hesitate before getting out and following behind him. A woman never gets anywhere by following orders from a man. I’ve never seen him look so vulnerable, and my chest tightens at the thought of him possibly needing me to be here for him.
He pauses for a second and shakes his head at me, before continuing to walk and mumbling under his breath. It doesn’t take long before he stops in front of a tombstone and grips his hair as he reads the front, his muscles flexing as he stares down.
I see his jaw muscles tremble as if he’s fighting back the urge to either cry or scream. I haven’t even taken the moment to see whose grave we might be standing at. I can’t seem to stop watching him. He doesn’t seem like the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Seeing him this way makes him seem more real, and makes me remember why I wanted to help him the first day I met him.
He reaches in his jacket pocket, pulls something out, and kisses it before kneeling down in front of the tombstone. That’s when I look down to read it for myself.
Lizzy Carter
Loving Mother and fighter till the end.
You shall never be forgotten
My eyes water as Memphis sets down an old paintbrush on the edge of the tombstone, directly in front of the wording. He closes his eyes, now crouching down before it. “I’ll never forget those paintings you used to make for me every night before bed when I was ten. Do you remember that?” He smiles small as if remembering. “Or the ones you used to give to me every year for my birthday. You were the strongest, most talented woman in the world. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about your smile or your laugh and wish that I could have been there for you.” He punches the ground before gripping the grass. “I love you more than words and I would trade my life for yours if given the chance, but I can’t and it kills me. I promised you I’d take care of Alex, so that’s what I’m going to do. I promise you that. You’ll never have to worry about Alex as long as I’m around.” He kisses his hand and then touches it to the ground, keeping it there for a moment. “You’ll always be my world. Sleep tight, beautiful angel.”
I wipe away a stray tear as Memphis stands up and starts walking away. He doesn’t say a word or stop to see if I’m coming. He clearly needs to get away and fast. I know that feeling, so I fall into step behind him.
Once we get in the truck, Memphis looks over at me and lets out a small breath when he sees another tear fall. “My mother died five years ago and I wasn’t even here to take care of her. She lost the battle with breast cancer.” He grips the steering wheel and grinds his jaw, fighting his emotions.
Before I know it my hands are on his face and I’m forcing him to look at me. “It’s okay to show some emotion. You can cry for your mother, Memphis. You love her.”
He grabs both of my arms and squeezes while looking down. He’s still fighting it. “You want to know where the fuck I have been for the last six years? Why I tell you to stay the hell away from me?”
I nod my head and look him dead in the eye as he 1100ks back up, even
He hesitates but then turns the key and pulls out without saying a word.
I’m not going lie; I sort of like him better that way; sexy and mute. That . . . I can handle.
WE RIDE IN SILENCE FOR about ten minutes before pulling up at the graveyard and he kills the engine. My heart sinks. His hands tighten on the steering wheel as he fights to catch his breath. His emotions are so thick I can almost feel them.
I want to say something, but I don’t. I have a feeling that this moment of silence is needed, so I just sit here and wait for his next move.
Almost five minutes I’ve sat here when he turns to me with a pained look in his eyes. He looks dead inside: tortured and hurt. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He hops out of the truck and I don’t hesitate before getting out and following behind him. A woman never gets anywhere by following orders from a man. I’ve never seen him look so vulnerable, and my chest tightens at the thought of him possibly needing me to be here for him.
He pauses for a second and shakes his head at me, before continuing to walk and mumbling under his breath. It doesn’t take long before he stops in front of a tombstone and grips his hair as he reads the front, his muscles flexing as he stares down.
I see his jaw muscles tremble as if he’s fighting back the urge to either cry or scream. I haven’t even taken the moment to see whose grave we might be standing at. I can’t seem to stop watching him. He doesn’t seem like the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Seeing him this way makes him seem more real, and makes me remember why I wanted to help him the first day I met him.
He reaches in his jacket pocket, pulls something out, and kisses it before kneeling down in front of the tombstone. That’s when I look down to read it for myself.
Lizzy Carter
Loving Mother and fighter till the end.
You shall never be forgotten
My eyes water as Memphis sets down an old paintbrush on the edge of the tombstone, directly in front of the wording. He closes his eyes, now crouching down before it. “I’ll never forget those paintings you used to make for me every night before bed when I was ten. Do you remember that?” He smiles small as if remembering. “Or the ones you used to give to me every year for my birthday. You were the strongest, most talented woman in the world. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about your smile or your laugh and wish that I could have been there for you.” He punches the ground before gripping the grass. “I love you more than words and I would trade my life for yours if given the chance, but I can’t and it kills me. I promised you I’d take care of Alex, so that’s what I’m going to do. I promise you that. You’ll never have to worry about Alex as long as I’m around.” He kisses his hand and then touches it to the ground, keeping it there for a moment. “You’ll always be my world. Sleep tight, beautiful angel.”
I wipe away a stray tear as Memphis stands up and starts walking away. He doesn’t say a word or stop to see if I’m coming. He clearly needs to get away and fast. I know that feeling, so I fall into step behind him.
Once we get in the truck, Memphis looks over at me and lets out a small breath when he sees another tear fall. “My mother died five years ago and I wasn’t even here to take care of her. She lost the battle with breast cancer.” He grips the steering wheel and grinds his jaw, fighting his emotions.
Before I know it my hands are on his face and I’m forcing him to look at me. “It’s okay to show some emotion. You can cry for your mother, Memphis. You love her.”
He grabs both of my arms and squeezes while looking down. He’s still fighting it. “You want to know where the fuck I have been for the last six years? Why I tell you to stay the hell away from me?”
I nod my head and look him dead in the eye as he 1100ks back up, even
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