Prologue
She'd told herself one year, it was a promise that she made to herself that she knew she had to keep for her own sake. How long could she allow herself to put her life of hold, how long could she allow herself to live in the past? Avery folded the letter for the envelope; it was such a surreal moment. This would be the last one. With a sigh she looked to the small box on the corner of her desk. It was full of unopened envelopes that looked exactly the same as the one she was about her place her current letter in. Well not exactly like the ones in the box, the main difference was the large block letters that read RETURN TO SENDER.
She knew what was in those letters, all 48 of them. One letter every week, that's what she had decided to do. All the letters told him how to contact her, if he'd ever wanted to. Send word to the PO Box and she would eventually get the letter. The content of the letters were different. Sometimes the letters were indifferent; she'd wanted him to believe that he didn't hurt her. She wanted him to believe that being turned away meant nothing to her, as she had obliviously meant nothing to him. She was almost glad when letter number 15 came back; it was embarrassing to say the least. She had begged for forgiveness for the crimes she wasn't sure how she committed. She pleaded with him to come bring her back to Aspen Creek. She's claimed that she would die without him. In her desperation she had even broken down and given her address and phone number in Spain. Yes, it was probably better that he never read that one.
Other letters were a bit darker in form. She screamed at him, demanding an explanation for his betrayal. Accused him of trying manipulate Ryker into killing her that day. She would have let him know exactly how he had ruined her life, well if he had ever read the letters. Those letters were sent on her despondent days, the days she didn't want to get out of bed. The days where she wasn't sure she wanted to live.
The last of the letters were more resolute. She would move on, she would live again, with or without him. This was the 52nd letter, 48 were returned and in her box, unopened. Three were on their way to be delivered, or quite possibly on their way back to her. She would not send another one without hearing from him first. This was it, in some ways the most important letter, and yet it was only three little words and her signature. There was no, "you can contact me through the PO Box", or as in her more desperate letters, her location.
With a sigh she stuffed the letter in the envelope. In the end it was up to Bran, she'd done her part. She tried as hard as she possibly could. It was a risk to do as much as she had, doing more would put everyone around her in danger. It was Bran's turn now, if he wanted her he would have to find her.
