Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 58952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Ashley didn’t step forward to initiate a hug or any physical contact, and neither did Lauren. But she did tip her head and smile at her sister, trying to ease the tension in the air between them.
“Shouldn’t you be at the church preparing for your pre-wedding photos?” she asked in a light tone. “The ceremony is only a few hours away.”
“Yes, but coming here to speak with you was more important.”
Those words spoke volumes, and wanting to hear what her sister had to say, Lauren indicated toward the wooden bench running along the interior of the gazebo. “Why don’t we sit down?”
Ashley nodded jerkily as Lauren took a seat, then her sister did, too, a good three feet away. She continued to wring the hands that were now in her lap, her gaze bouncing everywhere before landing on Lauren’s face. A full awkward minute of silence stretched between them, but Lauren refused to speak first or make small talk, since she wasn’t the one who’d requested this impromptu meeting.
Her sister swallowed hard before finally speaking. “I don’t even know where to begin, except to say I’m sorry.”
Lauren realized that this apology could encompass many things that had happened between them during their lifetime, and even knowing she wasn’t making things easy on her sister—and really, why should she?—she asked in a nice, but blunt way, “What, exactly, are you sorry for, Ashley?”
“So many things,” she whispered, contrition in her tone as she bowed her head, before glancing up again. “Mostly, for the way things happened between Greg and I, and the way you found out about us.”
Lauren figured that confession was a start, but she remained quiet, giving her sister the time and space to continue without interruption. She wasn’t about to fill the silence with platitudes, or tell Ashley it was okay when Lauren deserved an explanation, and yes, even remorse.
“What we did, what I did, was wrong. I know that,” she said, a believable ache of regret in her voice. “And there is no excuse for the way we handled our attraction and affair, or the fact that we were seeing one another behind your back. Greg should have ended things with you before the two of us started up anything.”
Lauren opened her mouth to agree, but Ashley jumped up from her seat and started pacing the small area inside the gazebo, clearly not done talking and getting things off her chest.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but I didn’t do it to hurt you. And neither did Greg,” she said, glancing at Lauren while walking back and forth. “If I’m being completely honest, I had a crush on Greg while the two of you were dating, and when I started working at the vet’s office, I admittedly began flirting with him. I’m… I’m the one who initiated our first kiss, and things just snowballed and intensified from there.”
Surprise rippled through Lauren. She’d always imagined that Greg had pursued Ashley, so learning the truth was… a shock.
“Greg intended to break things off with you,” Ashley continued in a rush of breath, as if she needed to get everything out in the open. “He told me he felt so guilty, and honestly, I did, too, because… at that point my infatuation with him had developed into love. Unfortunately, you caught us before we did the right thing. That doesn’t negate the fact that we had an affair behind your back, and I’m really, really sorry it happened.”
Lauren’s mind whirled as she tried to process everything Ashley just revealed. “Why didn’t you just tell me all this, and the truth, when it happened? Instead of letting everything fester between us for the past two years?”
“Because… I felt incredibly guilty,” Ashley replied, and tears of genuine regret shimmered in her eyes. “I did everything wrong, and I didn’t know how to handle things or fix it. And the longer time went by, the harder it was to reach out and have the discussion.”
“So, why now?” Lauren asked, needing to know.
Ashley bit her bottom lip before responding. “Because I need to know that you forgive me, and that you’re okay with me marrying Greg. I know that’s a lot to ask, and it’s probably incredibly selfish of me to want your approval, but you’re my sister and I do love you and I never intended to deliberately hurt you. You’re my only sibling and you should have been a part of my wedding and I royally screwed it all up!”
Without thinking, out of pure emotional instinct, Lauren popped up from her seat and closed the distance between her and Ashley. For the first time in years, she hugged her sister, and Ashley embraced her back, holding her tight.
“Of course I forgive you,” she whispered.
“Thank you,” Ashley said, and as they drew apart a tear escaped the corner of her eye.