A muscle in my jaw ticked as I picked up the card. It was like passing a car crash on the side of the road. I knew I would only see ugly devastation, yet I couldn’t help but look.

Crosby,

I know I messed up. I’ll do whatever it takes to fix things between us. Please talk to me.

Yours always,

Alicia

I let out a snort at the signoff. She’d never been mine, and she never would be. The difference was that seven years ago, I would’ve given anything for her to be mine. Now, I’d give anything for her to go away. Blocking her number had stopped the calls and texts, but you couldn’t block the United States Postal Service. I pulled out my phone and typed out a message.

Me: Tell Alicia to stop sending shit to my place of business.

I guess I should’ve been glad that my mother didn’t have my home address. Alicia probably would’ve shown up in person by now.

Mom: Don’t use that language with me, young man. You need to hear Alicia out. That’s the least she deserves.

Alicia didn’t deserve a damn thing from me, except maybe a taste of her own medicine. But Brent had already given her that. An old colleague from the firm had sent me an email letting me know that Brent had cheated on Alicia, and she’d found out in a very public manner. What could I say? Karma was a real bitch.

I paused for a moment before typing out my next text, trying to think of something—anything—that would get my mother to stop Alicia’s campaign for forgiveness. The knowledge that the woman had destroyed my life certainly wasn’t reason enough for Mom.

Me: I’m seeing someone. These messages and gifts are inappropriate.

It wasn’t a lie. Kenna and I were in some sort of pseudo-relationship. Just the knowledge of that had me fumbling with the top two buttons on my shirt. I took a deep, steadying breath. It wasn’t the kind of relationship I’d had with Alicia. It was raw and real, and it required no promises of diamond rings and houses that I hated. In fact, Kenna hadn’t asked me for anything.

Mom: Anyone you met on that godforsaken island isn’t worthy of you or our family.

I shouldn’t have been surprised by her reaction, but somehow, I still was. The outright snobbishness of it all.

Me: Call her off.

Mom: You’re going to have to sort this out yourself. But think about how nice it was when you two were together. Your father and I miss having you both in our lives.