The Right Kind Of Wrong

by L. B. Reyes

  Give her a chance.

  Maybe she'll apologize.

  “That's it? There's nothing else you wish to say?”

  She shook her head, pressing her lips together.

  Of course not.

  “And to think that at some point in my life I admired you,” I said sadly. “In many ways, this wasn't you're fault, Mom raised you this way, Han. But you could have decided to be different. I could say many things to you, Hannah. Hurtful things. Spit out how bad of a sister you've been. Remind you of the days you turned your back on me. But I won't waste my time. I only have one thing to say to you. All of you, actually. I know you're not sorry, but I forgive you.”

  I turned to David, giving him a single nod. He'd know what to do. He sighed, opening the door to the meeting room and signaled for the officers to walk inside.

  “What are you doing?” my mom asked, a desperate shriek in her voice.

  “Something I should have done a long time ago.”

  I stood back as my parents and Hannah protested against the officer’s commands, they were being apprehended for fraud and my sister had the added charge of invasion of privacy.

  Pleading eyes met mine, and their voices echoed as they asked me for help.

  “We're your family,” my mom hissed.

  I raised an eyebrow. “The girl who used to believe that, you broke her. She's gone.”

  She was far too surprised to say anything else.

  “Is this your revenge?” Hannah asked, tears in her eyes, disbelief in her features.

  I gave her a small smile, shaking my head. “This is justice.”

  CHAPTER 44

  Evelyn

  My hand was in his, such as it had been many times before. Except this time it was different; it was the last time we'd hold hands. His thumb drew circles over the back of my hand out of habit, unknowingly soothing my worries and concerns.

  I closed my eyes, reaching across the console and placing my head on his shoulder. I could picture Nathan's smile despite not seeing him as he placed a kiss at the top of my head.

  “You okay?” he asked quietly.

  “Yeah,” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “It's just been an overwhelming day.”

  “Mmm, I know. Once you get to New York City, you rest, okay?”

  “Hm. Yeah, that sounds nice,” I replied with a small smile.

  “You'll text me once you get there?” he asked, turning right. We were almost at the airport. Carter was in the backseat, quiet, probably eavesdropping on our conversation.

  “I will, I promise.”

  “Just making sure,” he chuckled.

  As overwhelmed as I was, I believed I was making the right decision. Nathan deserved someone who had their head on straight, someone who was okay with themselves. And I needed time to think. Some things are better done alone and this was one of them.

  I loved him, there was no doubt about that, and I knew he loved me too. I just needed to learn how to trust again, gain the self-confidence that had been taken from me.

  There was Josh; naively I'd believed that he was my friend. That his intentions were honest only to be betrayed in the end. Thankfully, along with my sister, he was in jail, but I knew it was only a matter of time before his family paid his bond. Money can buy you many, many things. Freedom was one of them. At least I would be far away from him, in another state, never to see him again, or so I hoped.

  For months, it was shot after shot, wound after wound. Eventually, it all added up. It all snowballed into insurmountable pain and I was about to explode. There was no need to bring Nathan down with me.

  Perhaps with time, we would meet again. Our relationship would start in a normal way, without anyone else involved and we could be happy. For now, however, I had to look out for myself. Be happy with who I was, before truly being able to be happy with anyone else. It's not easy to leave behind the person you love, but sometimes it's necessary in order to find closure.

  That’s exactly what I was doing.

  “We're here,” Nathan announced, tilting my face up.

  Our eyes met and I bit my lip nervously, needing to feel his lips on mine one last time.

  “Uh, I'm going to get one of those luggage carrier things,” Carter cleared his throat. “Yeah, that's what I'm going to do.”

  “You do that, Carter,” Nathan smiled, his unwavering gaze still on me.

  Carter still hadn't fully stepped out of the car when Nathan's mouth was on mine, lips moving with passion and intensity, tongue searching out mine desperately. His hand was at the nape of my neck, pulling me closer, kissing me deeper while my fingers tugged at his hair.

  That kiss said more than words ever would.

  It said that even if I met someone else, I'd still belong to him just as he'd still be mine.

  “God, I'm going to miss doing that,” he admitted between kisses, searching out my lips once again.

  When the kiss was finally broken off, I smiled, happy to have been able to feel him against me for one last time. “Promise you'll be happy,” I whispered. “I don't want to feel bad about doing this. I need you to promise me you'll be happy.”

  “As long as I know you're okay, I'll be fine,” he comforted.

  “We'll stay in contact like always?” I asked.

  “Of course. We were friends before all this, Evie. We're not losing that, okay?”

  I nodded, sighing when I heard the trunk being opened.

  “Let me help Carter with the luggage,” Nathan said, pressing a kiss on my forehead.

  I sighed, covering my mouth with my hand as a quiet sob escaped. I exhaled quietly, closing my eyes and suppressing another sob. I couldn't cry. This was already difficult for Nate. I couldn't let him see me breaking down. I had to stand by my decision.

  As the men finished up packing, I took out the short letter I'd written for Nathan, placing it on the driver's seat for him to read whenever we were already gone. It was easier to write everything I had to say instead of speaking it, I wouldn't have been able to talk without breaking down.

  Finally, I stepped out of the car, thankful that I was no longer in an uncomfortable dress and that I had changed into my regular jeans and a blouse. It seemed like Nathan and Carter were also having a bit of a conversation so I stayed behind, sending Jenna and her parents a quick goodbye text as well as Poison and Tessa.

  “You ready?” Carter asked after a moment.

  I nodded, once again interlocking fingers with Nathan. He walked us into the airport, helping us check in and with the luggage, always relaxed and not betraying his true feelings. I could see everything in his eyes though, and my decision was breaking his heart.

  We had plenty of time left so we were able to relax and eat a quick meal before boarding the plane. Most of the time I just listened to the casual conversation between Carter and Nathan. They were both relaxed and at ease and though I enjoyed seeing them that way. The nostalgia was very much present.

  “What are you thinking?” Nathan asked, placing an arm over my shoulder.

  “I'm not,” I replied quickly. “I'm actually just memorizing everything.”

  Carter nodded, understanding in his eyes. Just then the last call for the flight to New York City was made. Our sign that it was time to leave.

  “I guess this is it,” Nathan said quietly.

  “Seems that way,” Carter said, glancing my way. “Are you ready?”

  The deeper meaning of the question made my heart feel torn. Nevertheless, I nodded, standing up.

  “I'm ready.”

  Nathan looked at me with pride, pulling me into his arms as we stood up. He held me as we walked towards the boarding area and hardly let go of me to say goodbye to Carter.

  “Don't forget to text me, hm?” I nodded, leaning my face into his hand as he ran a thumb over my jaw.

  “Keep in touch.”

  “You too,” he said with a small smile.

  He embraced me once again, placing a kiss at the top of my head before pull
ing away. “Good luck, Evelyn.”

  Nodding, I took a step back and turned around, walking towards my destination. It took all of my courage not to turn around and go back to him. And though I tried with all my might, I failed.

  I ran back towards him, jumping in his arms as he lifted me up.

  “I love you,” I whispered, burying my face in his neck.

  “I love you too, Evelyn”

  Nathan held me close to him, breathing me in one last time.

  Those past months taught me many things; they taught me that family really isn't limited to just blood. Sometimes complete strangers can show you more kindness than the people you share DNA with.

  It taught me that love can be the greatest motivator and strength.

  I learned that a simple kiss could say more than a speech…

  And as Nathan lowered me on the floor and I waved him a final goodbye, I realized that the most valuable lesson you can learn in life that the hardest part of getting hurt isn't falling down, but learning how to get back up.

  THE END

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, I would like to thank my family. My husband for being there through my hardest and most vulnerable moments to the amazing ones, such as when we got the news that TRKOW was getting published, thank you. Our kids, for being my motivation. My parents and my brothers, thanks for pushing me to be the best that I can be. Thank you to my in-laws for taking me in as part of your family despite my craziness. Without all of your encouraging words, I would have never believed in myself.

  This girl also deserves a paragraph: Allie, you are my brain twin and have dealt with my breakdowns maybe as much as my husband. You helped me through this journey, and your crazy ideas never cease to amaze me. You are miles away, but believe me when I say that your support is very dear to my heart. I can't wait ‘til the day you tell me you've been published. I will be the first to buy your book. Keep following your dreams, girl.

  To my publisher, thanks for giving me the opportunity and believing that this story deserves to be told. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.

  To my editor Christina Kaye, thank you so much for your patience while answering my endless questions; that is something I will forever cherish.

  To everyone who made this book possible, from the formatting team to Lydia in marketing, thank you all for being there to answer all questions I had.

  Deranged Doctor Design; I have to say I have always admired your covers. I never had a doubt that I would fall completely in love with it and needless to say, I did.

  To everyone who offered their support from the start and along the way, from bloggers to my ARC readers, thank you for taking the time to read this story.

  And last but definitely not least, to all my readers: THANK YOU. I never, ever thought this would be possible and it never would have been possible without you all. Thank you for falling so in love with these characters, for crying with them and sharing their happy moments. I will forever be grateful to each and every one of you. I encourage you all to follow your dreams just like you've encouraged me to follow mine.

  About the Author

  L.B. Reyes, lover of all things romance and professional procrastinator, was born and raised somewhere in the large state of Texas. She spends most of her time listening to music that bring her characters to life, or dancing to it when she needs to destress. When she's not writing, she's thinking about how to torture her characters or give them the happy ending they deserve. A mother, student and now author, L.B. Reyes is always busy, but makes sure to make time for her family. She is a firm believer that all obstacles may be overcome and so she spends her days encouraging others to follow their dreams, no matter how far away they seem.

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