Mine, all Mine (Book 1) (Mature 18+)

Serenity

"He's back."

Two words. Two simple words that in five seconds turned her entire world upside down.

He's back.

Seven years of expensive therapy gone up in smoke. Seven years of hard work, tears shed, painful, slow healing, endless challenges, broken dreams, and new beginnings...

"Tristan's back."

The room spinned. Sweat pricked up on her temples, chest, and back. Her pulse throbbed erratically in her neck. Tears welled up in her eyes and immediately fell. Her breath racked against her ribs. She grabbed the closest piece of furniture to her and sank down to the floor, trembling.

No. Not now. Not... now.

"Serenity, are you there honey?"

Her voice was so soft it was barely audible. "Yes."

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes."

Seconds passed. Minutes.

Serenity swallowed hard and tried not to faint or regurgitate the hearty breakfast she'd eaten less than an hour before.

"I think he knows," the bearer of the bad news said.

Serenity exhaled a shaky breath and rubbed her brow with a trembling finger. "How?" she asked.

"My invitation is gone. It was on my table. I left it there and didn't mean to. He saw it when he came by the other day-"

"He was there? At your house?"

"Yes."

"But he's been gone for seven years," she weakly croaked. "What is he doing back now? What made him come back? Had he said anything to you about coming back home? Did you know?"

"Well, not really." The caller hesitated and Serenity could feel the tension oozing through the phone. "I talked to him about three weeks ago and just told him how much I missed him and that I really wished he'd come back home. I mean, I've told him that before so I don't know what made him decide to listen to me now..." The caller paused then continued. "He showed up at my door and said he felt he needed to come back. He said something about the way I'd sounded made him uneasy-"

"How long have you known about this?"

"Only two days. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner honey, but I was hoping I could get in touch with him before today. But he won't answer my calls. He was staying here but I don't know where he is now. I have a feeling he might try to show up at the church-"

Serenity slowly inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

"I'm sorry to put this on you today of all days," the caller wearily said. "I know this is the last thing you wanted to hear, especially on a day like today. But... I thought you should know."

"Thank you." She didn't know what else to say.

"I am so, so sorry honey."

"It's okay."

"I know you have a busy day today. I'll let you go. See you soon."

Serenity blinked as more tears fell from her eyes. "Okay."

"Love you sweetie."

Serenity choked back a sob forming in her throat. "Love you too."

The line went dead.

Serenity's cell phone slowly fell from her ear, down to the floor. Her eyes focused on a piece of lint on the floor of her bridal suite. Her eyes blurred. She blinked several times but they remained blurry. She couldn't move. She could barely breathe.

Why? Why?

Seven years ago, he had walked away without a word or a backwards glance. No goodbye. No Dear John letter. No words of apologies or excuses. She'd woken up one morning to an empty bed, her body sore; her hair wild and unkempt from their tempestuous love-making the night before. That night had been the first time Tristan told her he loved her. Their courtship had started fast. It took four hours for him to get her into bed and take her virginity and one night for her to fall head over heels in love with him. The year leading up to their final night together had been full of twist and turns; ups and downs. But she'd thought they had finally gotten to a place where they full understood and valued one another. So what happened? Why did he leave? And why had he come back today of all days? On her wedding day. To his former best friend and band mate, Nyle Wentworth.