Chapter 10 In the days that followed , Liam seemed to sense something was off . He barely let Esme out of his sight , always hovering nearby - even waiting right outside the bathroom door whenever she went in . Sometimes , out of the corner of her eye , Esme would spot Joy standing in the hallway , her eyes red from crying , but Liam would just frown and pretend not to notice . One morning , he showed up with a gold - embossed invitation in his hand , his eyes shining the way they did when he was a teenager . " Esme , today's the centennial celebration at school . The old gang's getting together . You've been cooped up at home for days - why don't you come out , see some friends , get some fresh air ? " She stared at the invitation , her gaze lingering on the school's crest . Suddenly , she remembered ten years ago , when he'd waited outside her classroom with basketball game tickets , grinning . " Esme , want to go with me ? " All right , she thought . Why not ? It's probably the last time anyway . On the day of the reunion , Liam held her hand the whole time . Their old classmates teased them , saying the " it couple " still looked perfect together . Someone brought up how Liam once spent an entire night in line just to get her a limited edition album . He just laughed , wrapping his arm around her waist , his fingers tracing gentle circles on her side - like he was silently asking for forgiveness . " Remember our time capsule ? " someone suddenly announced , dragging out a box . " We wrote letters to our future selves ten years ago . Time to open them up ." Everyone crowded forward , searching for their own envelopes . Esme was about to open hers when Liam suddenly froze . His phone rang . Joy . He hesitated , glancing at Esme , then stepped into the hallway to answer . When he came back , his face was pale . " Esme , Joy fell . She's in the hospital … " " Go ," she said quietly , cutting him off . " The baby's what matters ." He let out a shaky breath , pressed a quick kiss to her forehead . " I'll be back soon . " Esme watched him hurry away , then walked over to the time capsule and found Liam's letter . On the envelope , in his old , familiar handwriting , it read : " To Liam , age twenty - six . " She hesitated , then opened it . The paper was yellowed , but the words were still bold and clear . " To Liam , age twenty - six : You must have married Esme by now , right ? I'm so jealous of you . The life you have is everything I dreamed of . 0113 Chapter 10 So promise me : treat Esme well . Love her with everything you've got . If you don't , I'll never forgive you . Remember to warm up her milk every night - her stomach's sensitive . Take her to see the Northern Lights in Iceland - she's wanted that for years . Don't forget she hates rainy days and she's allergic to cilantro . And most of all , she's afraid of the dark , so never let her walk home alone at night . At the very end , in tiny writing , he'd added a line just for her : ' Esme , if I ever stop being good to you , please leave me . Never forgive me .' She ran her fingers over those words , and finally , the tears came . " Okay , " she whispered into the empty room . " I promise . " After the reunion , she hugged each classmate goodbye . Everyone's eyes were red . " You'll come to the next one , right ? " There wouldn't be a next time . When she left , Esme went straight to the registry office . Today , the divorce agreement became official . She could finally sign the papers and end it for good . The clerk double - checked . " Ms. Hiller , are you sure ? " " I'm sure ." As the stamp hit the paper , it felt like something inside her was being carved out , but there was also this strange , peaceful relief . Before she left , she wiped all traces of herself away - closed her accounts , bought a one - way ticket . On the plane , the sunset outside the window was blood red . Watching the sky , she remembered being eighteen , how he'd cornered her after school and whispered , " Esme , you're mine . You can't run from me ." Liam , you were wrong . This time , I ran . And I'm never coming back .