Carry Me Home (The Home Series: Book Three) by Megan Nugen Isbell Page A

your life.”
    I finally wiped my eyes so my face was a dry, red mess and I looked over to him again.  He was staring back at m e with an intensity that seemed to burn through me.
    “Jesse,” I said, taking in a deep breath. “You had your chance to say what you needed to say when you left, but I didn’t.  When I said goodbye to you at the airport, I was saying a temporary goodbye.  I didn’t know you were going to drop off the face of the earth.  I didn’t know you were going to just turn your back on everything we meant to each other.  I didn’t know it was over and you just don’t do that to someone you claim to have cared about.”
    “I can’t deny anything you’re saying.” His voice was low again and he stared at the ground for a few moments before he looked at me again. “I wish there was something I could say to show you how sorry I am.”
    “There’s nothing lef t to say.  It’s all been said.”  I tried to sound strong, but my voice betrayed me as it cracked and I swallowed through the lump in my throat. “Now you need to go.”
    I stared at the creek in front of us and forced my eyes to stay there. I didn’t want to look at him again.  I knew he wouldn’t fight me or beg me to stay, but he sat there for a few moments before I heard him stand up and walk away.  I kept my eyes focused on the trickling water in front of me, not looking back, just as he had done the day he left. 
     

Chapter Eight
     
    “You look like you have something on your mind,” my mom pointed out as we sat across from each other.  I’d been piecing at the chicken and rice on my plate, but I’d hardly eaten anything.  It’d been a couple of hours since Jesse left, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him or the conversation we had or the fact I’d remained down by the creek well after he’d left and bawled like a baby.  I knew I shouldn’t let him get to me, but after years of silence from him, it was hard not to be affected by talking to him. 
    “Jesse came by today,” I mumbled softly and I could feel my mom staring at me.  I met her eyes and she was looking at me curiously.
    “What’d he want?”
    “To apologize,” I answered and my mom set her fork down and then wiped her mouth with a napkin while she waited for me to continue. “I couldn’t listen to it though.  He doesn’t understand what he did to me.”
    “I hope you weren’t too hard on him, Riley.”
    I felt my mouth hang open as I looked at her in disbelief.
    “Why are you always defending him?”
    “You’re being a bit dramatic, don’t you think?  I don’t always defend him.”
    “You never got upset at him after he left.”
    “Of course I was upset at Jesse.  I was angry by how much he hurt you, but I also tried to understand why he did what he did and I think he did what he thought was right.”
    “Did Jesse and you have a meeting or something?  Because you sound exactly like he him.”
    “Again with the dramatics, Riley,” my mom said with a slight roll of her eyes.
    “I’m not trying to be dramatic, but I think he has a lot of nerve just showing up and expecting me to accept his apology.”
    “I don’t think he’s expecting you to accept his apology.  Maybe he just needed to say it,” she said and I paused as I thought about her words. “Riley,” she continued as she reached across the table and covered her hand with mine. “Jesse went through a lot.  He was trying to figure everything out and he did the best he could.  Hate me for saying it, but I think he did the right thing,” she said and I opened my mouth to interrupt. “And before you cut me off, I don’t think the way he did it was the right thing to do, but if you had forced him to stay in Kansas, he would’ve eventually lost it.  He might never have recovered and it wouldn’t have been good for you.”
    “So, what are you saying, Mom?”
    “I’m saying that you have spent the last few years trying to understand why Jesse left the way