22. Griffin

We both have a lot of thinking to do. I stare at the front door, wondering when Cora will be back tonight.

It"s been three days since the news broke, and she"s been staying at Kaleigh"s.

Cora thought it would be good to take some time to think, but I"m not sure if that"s the best approach. Harsh realities have surfaced, and I try to avoid dwelling on them.

Whenever I find a moment of peace, however, I can imagine Cora resenting me in the future.

There"s no way she wouldn"t, especially after dealing with my family for years to come. She would hate that kind of life.

I don"t want her to spend her life miserable. Cora will never fit in with my family, and they will keep harassing her.

I"ll be torn between them, and she deserves better than a man who doesn"t know if he can support her when his family turns against them.

The thought of losing her is unbearable, but I fear that"s the path we"re on. I"ve never felt so lost and unsure of the future.

Fuck, I'm such a coward.

Sighing, I swirl around the whiskey in my glass before downing the rest of my drink.

The front door opens, and Cora walks in. Dark bags circle beneath her eyes, and her shoulders slump forward.

She hums to herself as she flicks off the front porch light before looking around.

I used to love the way she looked for me when she got home. Now, the smile on her face when she sees me only hurts more.

I take a deep breath and set the empty glass aside before getting up and walking over to her. "Hey, I wasn't sure when you"d be home."

"Me neither. Kaleigh wanted to get together with Sophie and go out for some drinks and dancing tonight, but I wanted to come home to you and work things out."

Guilt claws at me, tearing my insides to shreds. "Sounds like you passed up on a good night. We can talk when you get home if you want to go out with them."

I want her to go back out so we don't have to talk right now. It's entirely selfish, but all I want is a little more time.

I don't want to break our hearts tonight, especially when she seems this happy to come home to me.

I'm an asshole.

She should hate me for the life I've dragged her into.

Cora shakes her head and stretches. "No way. I've missed curling up in bed with you and falling asleep to your snoring."

Her tone is light and teasing as she tosses her keys into the bowl on the console table.

My heart races, and I'm grateful for the dim light and the distance between us. I don't know how I would handle this if we were any closer.

Watching Cora leave my office in pain after resigning nearly tore me to pieces.

Cora wouldn't be hurting if I hadn't convinced her to stay married to me.

She would still be my assistant, paying off her debt as quickly as possible with the plan of leaving the job eventually.

I wouldn't have trapped her with my family.

"Cora," I swallow the lump in my throat, but it feels like choking. The room feels smaller, and there isn't enough air. "I wish that story had never been leaked. I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do it."

My hands tremble as I stuff them into my pockets. "You're right. I didn't do it, but we both know who did. I think the story was the wake-up call we've both needed."

"What are you saying, Griff?" Cora's eyes widen, and her lips part. She wraps her arms around her torso as if holding herself together.

I clear my throat and stand taller, pushing all emotions from my body. It"s the only way I'm going to get through this.

The last thing I want is for Cora to think I don't love her, but it's the only way she will leave.

Leaving is what"s best for her in the long run.

If she thinks there"s even a chance we could make this work, she"ll fight like hell. It's what she does for the people she loves. I've seen it time and time again.

I don't deserve that kind of love.

"I said we needed a wake-up call. We've been living in a bubble for too long, and it was bound to break sooner or later."

She barks out a sharp laugh. "Yeah. If it makes you feel better, my mom calls me and asks if I'm okay. I feel so guilty for hiding everything from her. She finds out that I've been lying for months, and she still calls to ask if I'm okay."

My stomach ties itself into tight knots. "We never should have let things go this far."

"You think?" Cora scoffs and shakes her head. "Say whatever it is you keep dancing around, Griff. I'm a grown-up. I can handle it."

I don't know if I can handle saying it.

All I want to do is cross the room and convince us everything will be okay.

But it's never going to be okay... Not when I can't protect her from my family's toxicity. They'll only destroy her.

I sink into one of the chairs across from her, feeling the weight of the world settling on my shoulders. "I think that it's best if we stop here."

"Is this about what happened with your family the other day?"

Yes.

"No." Cora arches an eyebrow, fixing me in place with that steely gaze. "You're not being honest, Griff, and you know it. Whatever is happening right now has everything to do with the tabloid and your family."

"No." I lean forward, bracing my forearms on my elbows. "This has everything to do with us. We were never compatible to begin with. We both just got caught up in the secret marriage, and this is where it led us."

Cora's lips tighten as she draws her knees up to her chest. "You're lying to me," she says.

"I'm not. This is the truth, Cora. We never should've gotten to where we are right now. We should have ended this long before it got so complicated."

"What about all that talk about wanting a family with me? Was that all a lie, too?"

Of course not.

I shrug. "I was just saying what I thought you wanted to hear."

Disgust flickers across her face as she shakes her head. "Can you even hear yourself right now? You sound like your father."

Her words hit me hard. I sink back into the seat, staring at her as she stands.

It feels like a thousand needles piercing my skin.

There"s no going back once I say what"s on my mind. Cora will want nothing to do with me forever, holding a grudge for what I"m about to say.

But I can"t stop the inevitable disaster.

I clear my throat and sink deeper into the shadows, trying to hide the tears welling in my eyes.

"I"m just tired of being in a relationship that doesn"t seem to have a future," I say.

Her eyes widen, and she looks down at me, torn between running away and giving me a piece of her mind.

My words hang heavy in the air, crushing any hope of fixing things between us.

I"ve shattered the trust we've built, but I can"t keep pretending that everything is fine when it"s not.

Cora"s expression softens, and hurt and confusion mix in her eyes. "You"re giving up? After everything we"ve been through?"

I shake my head, my voice barely above a whisper. "I"m not giving up, Cora. I"m facing reality. We were never meant to last, and it"s time we accept that."

Her shoulders slump, the fight draining out of her. "But I thought... I thought you loved me."

"I do love you," I say, my voice breaking. "But love isn"t always enough. We need more than just love to make this work, and I don"t think we have it."

Cora"s face falls, and she looks away, processing my words. "So, this is it? We"re just going to end it like this?"

I nod, the weight of my decision settling in my chest. "I think it"s for the best, Cora. For both of us."

She remains frozen in place.

I get up and head for the door, putting some distance between us. "I"ll have your stuff sent to Jake"s house. You can move on with your life, and I"ll do the same. I"ll make sure you have enough money to take care of the debts."

Cora follows me into the hall, slipping on her heels and gathering her bags without a word. "Send them to Sophie. I"ll be staying with her. You"ll need Jake to hold your hand when you realize you"re making the biggest mistake of your life."

Her words sting, but she"s still thinking about me, even as she prepares to leave. I don"t deserve someone like her.

Cora takes the key to my house off her keyring and holds it out to me. "I"m not going to beg you to love me, Griffin. If this is what you really want, I hope you have a good life."

She presses the key into my palm before walking out.

I stand in the doorway, watching as she gets in her car and drives away from the place we once called home. The urge to run after her and apologize for everything is overwhelming.

I want to tell her she was right and I was wrong. I want to believe there"s a world where we could work things out and be together.

But I know my parents would never leave her alone.

As I shut the door and return to the house, it feels emptier than ever.

I realize I"ve made the biggest mistake of my life.

She was right again, like always. This is what Cora needs.

She deserves a good life, and I deserve the misery of letting her go.