“Remi,” she whispered.It could have been a warning.It probably was.
I swallowed, my heart skipped a beat as adrenaline coursed through my system, gearing up to give her an apology that should have happened five years before.“And I’m sorry for that night.”She grew unnaturally still, but I kept going, “You were so brave, you were doing something that I was too afraid to do.”
The image of her dripping from the rain clutching the pages of our damp divorce paperwork superimposed on her blacked-out outline.
“I was so cruel.I regret it every day, even more now that I’ve met you again.”
For a moment, neither of us moved or spoke.I didn’t even breathe.It was as if I’d grown thin as tissue paper; she could tear me up without even trying.
But then, she closed the space between us.The slightest pressure of her weight pressed into me, and she rested her cheek against my sternum.I wrapped my arms around her, and she shivered.She still held herself tightly, leaving our embrace one-sided.But that was fine.
God, everything was good.
She was real.She fit perfectly.This was more than I could have ever dreamed.
“Where is your coat?”I asked, resting my chin on the crown of her head.
“You’re one to talk.”
“I hate when you’re cold.”
“But not whenyouare?”
“I’m not all that concerned about me.”
“I am.”Her admission was barely audible.It could have disappeared in the crunch of snow, but in the still silence I heard.I had to squeeze my eyes shut to the emotions those two words flooded through me.
She nestled her cheek against my sweatshirt.“I should get back in there.I know it’s weird, but I am here for work.”
“I can help.”
I didn’t let her go, and she didn’t pull away.
“Where does all of this leave us?”she mumbled into my chest.
“I hope better than where we started.”
“Does it?I’m so confused.”
I wasn’t confused.Not at all.I had the utmost clarity.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Alicia
“Hey.”Aguywearinga baseball cap moved to Remi’s side and gestured toward me with his can of Bud Light.“Is that actually your ex-wife?”
I was technically in a conversation with a few people about the local high school basketball season, but I wasn’t invested by any means.I’d overheard people asking about mine and Remi’s past relationship a couple of times, so I knew what was coming next.No matter how loud the party got, I could always hear Remi’s name or, God help me, his voice.It had been a few hours, and more drinks than was wise, since my conversation with him.My feelings were still a little frayed, but staying at the party had turned out to be productive.When he’d said that he would help me, it hadn’t been empty words.
“Yeah, we used to be married,” he said.“Have you met Alicia?”
He didn’t wait for the other man to answer before calling out, “Leese, do you have a sec?”
I gave him a smile over my shoulder and held up a finger in the universal sign of,one minute.While I removed myself from the group I was a part of, I overheard Remi talking to baseball-cap-guy.“You know that state land you hunt on?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re trying to sell that off and put in an amusement park or some shit.”
