He Erased Me From The Photo I Erased Him From My Life Chapter 13
As the plane cut through the clouds, Owen thought about the hiking trip to the Smoky Mountains that had never happened.
Natalie had spent two weeks planning it, mapping the route, booking a cabin at the foot of the mountain, and even buying him a new pair of hiking boots.
The night before they were supposed to leave, with their bags already packed by the door, Sloane had called, crying, to say her garage door was broken and she was scared to be alone in the house.
He had canceled the trip on the spot.
Natalie had been silent for a long moment before saying quietly, “It’s okay. We can go next time.”
There was never a next time.
Those boots were still pristine when Natalie left Chicago.
Owen squeezed his eyes shut. Every time Natalie had been understanding, he had treated it as permission to fail her again.
After the plane landed, he didn’t go back to the apartment. Dragging his suitcase behind him, he went straight to his company’s law firm.
“I need to replace a destroyed property transfer document,” he explained to the attorney. “It involves notarization across state lines. I need the delay in closing, the reprocessing fees, legal costs, and any travel expenses fully calculated. I’ll cover everything.”
The lawyer asked, “Who destroyed the original file?”
Owen’s throat tightened.
“Not me. But the responsibility is mine.”
The lawyer laid out the process. Owen confirmed each step before signing the authorization papers then and there.
This was what he should have done the day after the document was ruined.
But on that day, he had been at the park with Sloane.
He had done nothing at all.