“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“All jokes aside…” she says, swinging back to her sympathy tone, “unless there’s something you haven’t told me, then you know how this story will play out. You and Melanie aren’t together anymore, you haven’t been for a very long time, and you don’t really get a vote on her decision.”
I cross my arms. “Yeah,” I murmur.
“There’s... nothing you haven’t told me, though, right?” she asks.
I look at her. As tempting as it would be to spill it all, every warm kiss and embrace of the last few weeks, I’m not about to betray Melanie’s trust again. Even if it was all for nothing, I don’t want to lose the trust I’ve earned.
“No,” I say. “No, there’s nothing else.”
“Then, there you have it.” She stands. “You want some coffee?”
No.
I need something stiffer than that.
I shake off the thought as I rise from my chair. “I think I’ll just go home. Thanks, though.”
“Rob.” She shifts a step toward me. “Are you going to be okay?”
No.
No, probably not.
“I’m fine, Trix,” I say.
“Are you sure?”
No.
I’m very much not sure.
“It’s okay,” I say, forcing myself to stand up straighter. “I just need to take a walk.”
“Well, do you have somebody you can call? If you need to.”
I bite down to stop myself from snapping at her. She knows my history. It’s a valid question.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“You can call me, too,” she says. “I’m always here. You know that, right?”
“Thanks,” I say before closing the door behind me.
Thirty
Melanie
Cady reached out and caressed Derrick’s face, his tired eyes showing no remorse. No pity. No compassion. He didn’t care who he hurt in all this, especially not her. Not his wife and lover. It was always about him and no one else.
She pulled her hand back and slapped him across the face.
“Fuck you,” she said. “Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck fuck fuck—”
I slam my laptop closed and toss it onto the couch beside me. Honestly, fuck this book. Fuck this entire book. It’s tainted now. Truly, utterly tainted by him. Robbie’s dumb words are all over this thing. Might as well just delete it and forget it. Start a new one.
Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll start a new book. One with a sympathetic hero and a badass heroine. A girl who knows what she wants and isn’t too timid to say it. And a man who respects his woman enough to do as she asks and, I don’t know, not fall in love with her.
Yeah, people totally want to read that.
I glare at my laptop.
On second thought, maybe not.
There’s a knock on my door. I frown. Probably just Robbie.
I’m not getting off this couch unless it’s pizza.
My phone vibrates face down on the end table. I grab it and turn it over to find a new message from Nora. It’s a selfie of her and Trix standing in my hallway with grinning faces… and a pizza box.
Let us in! the text reads.
They know me well.
I push myself off the couch and shuffle across the condo to open the door.
Nora and Trix stand in the hall with shopping tote bags dangling from their elbows. Together, they each balance one side of a sign made of poster board. It’s bedazzled with glitter writing, neon markers, and two red balloons fastened to the top corners.
Bon Voyage, Melanie!
“Hi!” Nora says, smiling from ear-to-ear. “We’re here to kidnap you!”
“Girls’ niiiiiiight!” Trix howls, her voice echoing throughout the empty hallway.
I sigh. “Robbie sure has a big mouth,” I say.
Trix jostles the pizza box. “We’ve got food and booze! Let’s go.”
“Booze?” I ask her.
She reaches into her tote and pulls out a bottle of white grape juice. “Rum for you guys. This crap for me. Grab your coat.”
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“No time to explain, woman!” Nora shouts loud enough to piss off some neighbors, I’m sure. “Move it!”
I nod, admiring their charisma. “Well, I can’t exactly turn you down,” I say. “You made a banner and everything.”
They shake it back and forth, scattering a few glitter crumbs on the floor.
I laugh.
We end up at Lance’s house.
“Is Hal here?” I ask as we step onto the front porch.
“No,” Trix answers. “She’s on a date tonight, so she won’t be back until late.”
“If at all,” Nora jokes.
Trix grins as she retrieves the keys from her purse. “See, now, that’s the quiet part we don’t say out loud in front of Lance.”
Nora titters. “Duly noted.”
I admire the house, taking in the neighborhood surrounding it. I haven’t been to Lance’s place before tonight. It’s nice and quiet and normal, very much unlike the massive estate Trix grew up on. It’s adorable how opposites always find a way to attract.
Trix opens the door. “Lance is home, but he’s deep in a new case and probably won’t leave his study at all, so we’re safe to get drunk and party. Or, in my case, get processed-sugared up and party.”
I laugh as we follow her inside. “Sounds great.”
“I’ll grab some glasses and napkins. You guys chill.”
Nora hooks my arm and leads me into the living room. She sets her shopping tote down on the coffee table and adjusts the throw pillows on the couch before we sit down.
“This is a nice house,” I say as I open the pizza box.
“Right?” Nora says. “Before we leave, you must have Trix show you the nursery-in-progress. It’s so adorable!”
“You’ve seen it?” I ask.
“Well…” She hesitates. “Sort of. I mean, she asked me about colors and stuff, so I brought over some palette options from my web designers and now I’m seeing why you’ve felt so left out lately so I’ll just stop talking…” Her voice falls.
I pat her knee, smiling. “Don’t worry about it, Nora. It’s okay. And I haven’t felt left out. It’s more like I feel… stuck, you know?”
“So, why didn’t you tell us about New York?” she
