I looked at the following envelope.
And then the next one.
There were eight letters.
Eight.
All addressed to me.
All unopened.
“I don’t understand,” I whispered.
Susan sat down in front of me.
“When you didn’t answer the first letters, I thought maybe you were angry. Then I thought maybe you moved in again.
He swallowed saliva.
“So I went to get you.
I knew what I was going to say next.
But I wasn’t ready to listen to him.
Linda opened the door.
My fingers pressed the letter.
Susan continued.
He said he was your girlfriend.
I stared at her.
He said you were happy. He said you talked to him about me and you didn’t want anything to do with the past.
I immediately denied with my head.
I never said that.
“I know now.
Susan looked down at the box.
“But then I believed him.
I couldn’t talk.
The memories started to hit my mind.
Linda and I had met shortly after I moved.
At first we were friends.
Then we started dating.
I remembered talking to him once about Susan.
Just once.
I had told her that Susan had been my first love and that the breakup had almost destroyed me.
Linda had held my hand that night and told me that some people were destined to stay in the past.
I’ve never questioned him.
Susan continued.
I asked Linda to give you one last letter.
He put his hand in the box and pulled another envelope.
Unlike the others, this one had been opened.
Suddenly I felt my legs failing.
“Did you read it?” I asked.
Susan nodded.
He told me he would hand it over to you.
I opened the envelope.
The letter inside was brief.
Robert, I came because I needed to tell you face to face, but I didn’t have the courage to wait any longer. I still love you. If it’s even a small part of you that still loves me, call me. I’ll go anywhere. I’ll start with you again.
Below was a phone number.
I stared at it until the numbers became blurry.
I never saw this.
I know.
For the first time since I had entered Susan’s house, anger began to grow inside me.
Not pain.
Not confusion.
Ira.
Why would Linda do something like that?
