The Fishermen (Infidelity #2)

by C.P. Harris

“Then don’t stop making me pay,” I said gutturally, loving his unmerciful torture.

“Will it destroy a part of me to lose you and Jasper? Yes, it will. Will I miss you every second and never stop fighting to have you both back in my life? Absolutely. Will I give up the only person who has known every ugly part of me and loved me anyway? No, I won’t. If you make me choose, Cole, my choice will be Leland.”

“I chose you, Leland. I will always choose you, no matter what.”

“You’ll resent me,” he whispered, bottom lip quivering.

“Never,” I vowed. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Nothing is wo...

“Did I pass the final test?”

“Yes,” he said. “You passed them all.”

“Now, while you are my greatest reward, I still think I deserve a prize for passing. What have I earned?”

“Whatever you want. Just...

“Trust,” I said easily. “I want you to finally trust ...

“I will. From now until forever, I will,...

“Thank you,” he said, kissing my nose.

“For what?”

“For being ridiculous just to se...

“There was a time when all I’d see were the ones that were missing. A time when I would think for every single photo here, there were at least ten others that would show the truth. Show the times I hadn’t shown up for you all, the times you weren’t my priority, the efforts I hadn’t made.”

“But now?” I said, chiming in. “What do you see now, Franky?”

“Now I see that I wasn’t perfect, but I wasn’t ...

“That’s what we all are. Imperfectly perfect.”

Franky felt around his pockets for his phone, instructing us all to gather in close for a selfie. “It’s okay,” he said, “because when I think back on this time, this is the moment that I’m going to remember.” He held up his phone, held up the photo of his family. “This is the moment that will matter.”

you’re my priority now. Choosing you means I go where you go. It means what makes you happy brings me unmeasurable joy. You come first, Leelee Bear.”

“When life tosses us a curveball, we’re going to go fishing.”

“What will we do with them? We don’t even like fish,” I pointed out, even while the thought sent my heart crashing against its cage with a joy so potent it left me breathless. So long as I was with him I would do and try anything, because he made me believe anything was possible. He hauled me higher up so he could look deeply into my eyes, the place where he would forever find all the love I held for him.

“It’s okay,” he said, one corner of his mouth lifting. “I’ll teach you how...