Chapter 67 : Crash

*Michael*

The cabin felt incredibly quiet after watching Shelby drive away. I couldn’t get the image out of my head of Shelby staring at me; clear hurt etched into all of her features. I hated myself for the pain I caused her, but deep down, I knew it was the only way to keep her safe.

I tried to fill the last two hours with anything to distract myself from the pain of sending her away, but nothing was helping. I tried to finish the movie we started, but I was only able to focus on the lead actress's eyes and how they looked so much like Shelby’s. I ended up pacing the kitchen with a glass of whiskey held tightly in my fist.

Maybe once I made sure Blaine was behind bars for good, I could reach out to Shelby and explain everything. I didn’t know if she would even want to see me then, or ever again for that matter. I wouldn’t blame her after my whole speech about how she would be better off without me. It stung me to realize that she really would be better off if she had n