“I know.”
The suggestion she had been following his rise and fall as a social media star didn’t help his mood. “Then you might know that right now I’m particularly salty about wealth and fame, and all that fucking nonsense.”
She swallowed hard, looking visibly nervous now. “I know. That’s why—”
Great. Maybe she was finally hearing him. “It’s time for you to go now.”
“Josh—”
“Leave.” He pointed outside, and then, more specifically, to the highway. “Get out of my town. Go back to California.”
“I can’t do that. We need to—I wouldlike—to work this out between us before anyone else gets involved.” There was a tight urgency to the way she said it. Whatever drove her to come find him now was important and time sensitive. Did she need to be single herself? Was she getting re-married?
Over his dead body would he rush to free her for another fool.
Or could there be another reason why she might need to be rid of him again? Another ultimatum from her father? Or another man, eager for his lover to not be married. “Tell whomever is waiting for my answer that I’ll deal with this at my own speed.”
She frowned. “All I care about is righting a wrong. This is just between you and me.”
“It’s never been just between you and me, has it? Because when it came down to me or a hundred million dollars, you made your choice clear.”
He wasn’t an idiot. Of course she chose the money. Anyone would have.
She looked like he’d slapped her in the face. Good. Now they both felt like shit. “It was more complicated than that. And I’m here, now.”
“Three years later.” He threw his hands in the air. “What do you want, some kind of wife medal? I’m all out. None of that matters to me, Monica. It never has. I never wanted your father’s money, or his company, but you didn’t believe me then, so I don’t expect you to understand me now when I sayI need some fucking time with this new fucking information.Got it?”
11
Monica didn’t knowwhat she thought would happen.This whole thing could be handled with a phone call, her mother had said.Let the lawyers fix it, her father had growled.Ew, that sounds messy, Sylvie and Cathryn had agreed when Monica finally looped her friends in on the whole situation. Then Amira pouted a little that Monica would be delayed in arriving for her pre-wedding celebrations.
The better part of a month in Italy to celebrate a wedding.
It had felt excessive before she showed up here. She’d instinctively known that Amira could spare her for a few days.
But now? After Josh had pinned her with that fierce gaze and basically told her—although he hadn’t wanted to admit it—that he couldn’t afford to go toe-to-toe with her lawyers?
That made her feel very, very small about swanning off to Italy next.
Well, it was done. She got half way up Main Street before she had to pull over and have a good cry.
Josh had tersely told her he’d call her tomorrow. Had taken her phone number with ginger reluctance, like she was handing him a ticking bomb.
And then he’d kicked her out of his garage.
But it felt wrong to hit the highway and head back to civilization.
So she stopped in an empty parking spot and let the tears fall—for a minute.
Swiping angrily at her wet cheeks, she gave herself a pep talk. “You’ve done the hardest part,” she said out loud. Her voice sounded shaky and uncertain. So she repeated it, this time with more confidence. Shehaddone the hardest part. Now Josh would go through the reaction cycles, and then he’d sign divorce papers. It wouldn’t be long before she could give him half of everything she had, under the guise ofrules are rules, the law is the law.
It wouldn’t make her feel better, exactly, but it would be the right thing.
And now she had a button she could push if he dragged his feet. He wanted her gone, and divorce helped that along.
Her watch lit up with a text message from her mother.
Bianca
