Chapter 4

Now, those emerald charms were left behind, rotting away in the weeds of an overgrown forest.

I crouched down, collecting the charms from the dirt before shuffling over to a nearby creek. Without hesitation, I tossed them directly into the rushing water.

They cracked against a boulder beneath the surface of the water, shattering into pieces.

The roaring current instantly swept the fragments downstream, and with them, another massive block of my memories vanished into thin air.

Pretty soon, I'd be just like those emeralds, making a quiet exit from this world.

"Guess this place doesn't guarantee happily ever after," I muttered.

Sierra and I fell in love right here in Yearnerwood. I never expected this would be the exact spot where we'd hit the end of the line.

Staring down at the nasty, bleeding wound, I tore a strip of fabric from my shirt and tied it around the wound as a makeshift tourniquet.

I endured the pain as I began the long, agonizing limp back toward civilization.

I had been walking for hours and had barely reached the outskirts of town when Sierra finally tore down the road in her car.

"Honey, I thought Riley had been bitten. It was an emergency, and I panicked—"

But king ratsnakes weren't poisonous, and she knew it.

She lunged forward and locked me in a desperate hug. "This is all my fault, Caleb. I'm so sorry. Please tell me you aren't mad."

Sierra looked frantic, a bead of sweat tracing down her forehead to the tip of her nose.

I couldn't match her intensity.

Pulling away from her, I kept my voice flat. "When do we file for divorce? I'll sign the papers, no questions asked."

At those words, Sierra's eyes flickered with surprise.

"H-Honey, what are you talking about?" she stammered. "I'm not divorcing you. We're in this for the long haul."

Her eyes darted down, finally catching the dark, crimson stain soaking through the makeshift tourniquet on my leg. Shock and concern twisted her features.

"You're bleeding. I'm taking you to the hospital."

As she spoke, she grabbed my hand to pull me toward the car, but I held my ground, pushing her arm away.

"If we don't end things, where does that leave Riley?" I asked.

Sierra's brows knitted into a frown. "Caleb, Riley is moving into our place. My cousin passed away, and he's drowning in grief. What's wrong with looking after him? Besides, Mom's the one who suggested it."

"He's family," she continued. "Even if I go out of my way to take care of him, he's never going to take your place. You're always my priority."

Was he just family?

I tugged at the corners of my lips. "I don't want another man living under my roof, especially not for the rest of our lives."

Sierra's expression soured. "Caleb, I love you. You're my husband. He's only moving in because my mother can't stand seeing him stay in that empty house, surrounded by memories of my cousin. I couldn't say no to her.

"We've made it through seven years together, so don't tell me you doubt my feelings for you. I'm caught in the middle here. Can't you give me a little grace?"

"Let's not waste any more time," she snapped. "I need to get you to the hospital, and I've got things to handle later."

When she noticed that I was about to argue, she looked away.

I lowered my head, keeping my mouth shut as I climbed into the car.

This was the same woman who willingly walked away from the Parker family fortune just to be with me. She had stood up to her family and declared her love for me.

She managed to pull off a miracle back then, but now that her mother was asking her to take care of her late cousin's husband, she couldn't say no.

Whenever Riley was in danger, she completely abandoned me even if I needed her just as much, throwing herself into taking care of his problems without a second thought and even forcing my own child into his life.

Why was it so hard for her to just admit that she had checked out of our marriage?

But I supposed facing the truth could be terrifying. After all, falling for one's dead cousin's husband wasn't exactly a great look.

Once we reached the hospital, Sierra handled my registration at the front desk without uttering a single word to me.

Before she left, she offered a cold, parting remark. "Get some rest."