Chapter 6 - THE SECRET BEHIND RILEY'S TEARS
Riley didn't answer immediately.
Then she laughed nervously.
“Blake, don't do this.”
“Answer me.”
“I was emotional.”
“Why?”
“Because everything was changing.”
Blake closed his eyes.
“And?”
She began crying.
“You promised I'd always matter.”
“You do.”
“Then why are you acting like I did something wrong?”
Blake stared at the wall.
Because that was the question he'd spent years avoiding.
Riley had never directly asked him to leave Kira.
She didn't need to.
She simply created situations where Blake had to prove she came first.
A flat tire.
A bad date.
A panic attack.
A forgotten anniversary.
A lonely birthday.
Every crisis ended the same way.
Blake arrived.
Kira waited.
Riley felt reassured.
And Blake told himself he was being loyal.
Now he understood the pattern.
“Riley,” he said quietly, “you knew it was my wedding.”
She sniffed.
“I know.”
“You knew Kira was watching.”
Silence.
“And you still asked.”
Riley's voice hardened.
“Are you blaming me for your wife leaving?”
Blake swallowed.
“No.”
He looked toward the empty bedroom.
“I'm blaming myself.”
Then he added, “But I'm not going to keep pretending you didn't know what you were doing.”
Riley went silent.
May you like
Blake ended the call.
For the first time in fifteen years, he didn't call back.
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