On the Ruins of His Regret I Soar novel Chapter 219

He forced a laugh. “Dylan was just running his drunken mouth. You can’t take that seriously. I would never go after your wife. We’re friends. I have some self-respect.”

Lance’s eyes, narrowed and complex, studied him. A flood of forgotten memories suddenly surfaced. “I remember now. Every time Jessica came looking for me, you were always the first one to spot her and give me a heads-up.”

“That’s because my desk was by the window,” Eugene said defensively. “I saw everyone coming and going. I was the class lookout; you know that.”

Lance said nothing.

“You punched Dylan over Jessica,” Eugene continued. “What’s that about? You’re about to be divorced. Why do you suddenly care so much?”

Lance remained silent.

Eugene sat beside him. “You know, I honestly think Jessica is the person who loves you most in this world. If you lose a woman like that, you’ll never find another one. I know you and Catherine were close in high school, but think about it: if you could only have one woman in your life, would it be Catherine or Jessica?”

“That’s not a possibility,” Lance said, his voice hoarse.

“So you want to have them both?” Eugene asked, understanding dawning in his eyes.

“Delete all the pictures of Jessica,” he said quietly. “And we can still be friends.”

Eugene’s hand trembled on the doorknob. He didn’t reply, just walked out.

Lance slumped back onto the sofa, his shoulders caving in. He felt completely lost. He didn’t know if he loved Jessica. He had always seen her as a little sister who tagged along, and he’d only married her because his dying grandfather had been fond of her.

But looking back, the three years from their wedding until Amy turned two had been warm and peaceful, filled with Jessica’s gentle voice and Amy’s laughter. Those days… they hadn’t been so bad. They had been much better than his life was now.