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letter open and read through it.
This letter was more personal. Will wrote about the memories Audrey had taken from him by
not giving the house back. He wrote about hammocks in the backyard, lemonade stands, first
kisses and deaths of grandfathers. Will wrote about the first time he d gotten drunk, hidden
away in his bedroom closet while a babysitter dozed in front of the television downstairs. He
wrote about his mother s wedding ring.
I would take it all back, if I could, Will wrote. If I hadn t hurt you in this way& Audrey, I
know you have a caring heart. You opened it to me once, and I took advantage of your trust.
We didn t belong together, like I thought we did, but you didn t deserve what I did to you. If
you can t give me the house, then at least give me the ring back. When my parents died all
those years ago, my mother wanted that ring to always stay in the family. Please.
Sam felt like he was spying on a conversation. A very private conversation.
He couldn t stop himself from opening the next letter, some strange emotion whirling around
in his stomach. Sam had never really felt this way before. He didn t even know how he felt.
Was he regretting the way he d treated Will?
No way, Sam said firmly. No way in hell am I siding with Will. He cheated on his wife;
he deserved what he got. Sam had never cheated on anyone in his life. Then again, he d
never had a real relationship.
Sam looked down at the next letter and read.
Audrey,
I refuse to be punished for this any longer! We both know our marriage was over long before
it happened. It doesn t make it right, it doesn t make it fair, but we weren t even sleeping in
the same bed at that point.
I was lonely, scared, and confused, and you exploited that! You took the only things in the
world that still mattered to me; my mother s ring and my home. Don t tell me that you lost
her ring, because I don t buy it.
That ring is over one hundred years old, it s a family heirloom, and I want it back. My Great-
Great-Great-Grandfather Johannes gave it to my Great-Great-Great-Grandmother Katerina
when they were married. If you won t let me buy the house from you, at least do this one
thing for me. You ve never accepted my apologies, you ve never even tried to understand
where I m coming from. You ended our marriage years before I even looked at a man, you
know that.
I will forever regret the decision I made that night, but if you do this to me, you will kill me.
My parents died years before I met you, but I swear if you had seen them, if you had met
them, you would understand.
-Will
Private Property - 44
Another man, Sam mumbled.
Sam started to put the pieces together. Will had cheated on Audrey with another man? Sam s
stomach started to ache. He had no right to be reading these letters; he had no right to know
this much about Will.
The ferry horn blared in the distance, and Sam jumped, dropping the letter guiltily. He looked
around the empty room. There was only one letter left, and his fingers were itching to tear the
envelope open. It was the most recent letter, the one that had arrived the day Will had shown
up on his front porch, cake in hand.
Sam wasted no time in opening the fourth and final letter. He unfolded the paper inside and
read.
Audrey,
This is ridiculous. You ve been ignoring my calls and my letters. I ve asked some old friends
from town to check in on you and they say you ve disappeared. They also say there s a
different car in your driveway now. It s not my business, but what is going on?
Ignore my letters and phone calls all you want. I m coming to Newport on Friday, and I will
be coming to the house. I expect you to give my ring back. I know you have it.
You ve taken everything from me. Please give this little piece of me back.
Will.
Friday. That was the day Sam had met Will, and everything had changed.
Private Property - 45
Chapter Six
If You Can t Beat Em&
Sam put his head in his hands and groaned. He didn t know what to think anymore.
And now he was alone in this house with no strength to write and no one to talk to. His best
friend had abandoned him, and he d driven Will away.
I am a truly low creature, Sam decided.
And a glutton, he thought, looking at the empty cake plate.
He was going to die alone, bedridden and fat in Rhode Island. Could it get any worse?
Thunder boomed, and the lights flickered out.
Sam decided there was no god.
***
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