Free One Last Hold by Angela Smith Page A

face. She didn’t dare. What would be the point? No sense in dragging up old ghosts.
    Wesley was no longer the person she grew up with. He was a stranger now.
    “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel that way.” Wesley cradled her chin and thumbed a tear from her eye. “I never blamed you for what happened. I’ve always blamed myself, not you, so please understand that.”
    She shrugged and his hand fell away from her chin but his gaze remained on hers. Eyes holding cavernous layers of green, allure and ambiguity. He’d found a way to hide behind those eyes, as if he always wore shades. She wished she could unveil him. Before that horrible night their lives changed, he had no bad memories. No reason to hide.
    “It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said. Of course she didn’t mean it. It would always matter. The memories would always leave a gaping hole. “I will always blame myself, but I can’t let that keep me from living my life. You see, I’ve learned to accept myself for who I am, and I’ve learned to accept my circumstances for what they may be.”
    “Then why couldn’t you accept me?”

Chapter Seven
    Wesley drove Caitlyn to her car and fought back the emotions he’d censored long ago. Talking about it tore him apart inside, which is one of the reasons why he’d left in the first place. He never wanted to revisit the memory of that night, to dredge up memories. Talking didn’t help the memories or the guilt. He couldn’t dwell on what happened, couldn’t fall into that trap again.
    Wesley chided himself on not being able to face accountability for his mother’s death head on like some people might, but four years of law school should have been ample punishment. He enrolled out of pure guilt. If his parents hadn’t been fighting about his future that night, his mother would still be alive. His dad wanted him to go to law school and when he sprung the news on them he was going to race with his uncle’s team instead, Johnson was livid.
    His mom wasn’t as concerned and only wanted the best for her son. She always encouraged whatever made him happy, and he did not want to be an attorney.
    Samantha had been in the backseat with Caitlyn, trying to console her because it was just as big a surprise to her, the girl he’d wanted to marry. All the while he argued with his dad in the front. He was driving, and driving fast because of the anger at his dad and his resentment towards Caitlyn for not supporting him.
    He never blamed Caitlyn. He only blamed her for turning on him in his time of need. He blamed himself for that too, because if he was the kind of man he should have been, he would have told Caitlyn first, when they were alone. He wouldn’t have sprung it on her with his parents around. He had no intention of ending their relationship; he truly thought she would support him and go with him.
    But Caitlyn blaming herself? He’d never known
    He’d been too consumed by his own guilt. Remorse tightened his skin, rolling in his gut. She’d blamed herself. Never did he mean for her to blame herself.
    His father had done everything he could to cover up what happened that night. Wesley wasn’t sure how he’d done it, but any research in his past only mentioned his mother dying in a car accident. The reports made it appear it was a one-vehicle, one-person accident, and Wesley never admitted the truth. The first officer on scene knew. He was there . But nothing was said…ever. However much it’d cost for his father to cover the accident up, thinking about it sickened him.
    Wesley stopped his car beside Caitlyn’s and agonized over what to do next. The temptation to lean over and kiss her almost won, but she opened the door before he had the chance to move.
    He snatched her arm before she could exit. He should do something, say something. He shouldn’t just let her leave.
    She turned her head towards him. “Thank you for the ride.” His pulse dipped as she pulled away and climbed out.
    He watched her