“I won’t let you undermine me when it comes to him,” I said, unable to think of anything else. “He’s a child that needs to keep in mind the importance of respecting other people’s property.”
Ace snorted. “Whatever.” He waved a dismissive hand.
“Whatever,” I mocked, feeling just as childish as he was right then. “Listen, since I agreed to this bullshit arrangement of yours, I felt it would suit us both to agree on some terms.”
I pulled a folded piece of paper out of my shoulder bag and handed it to Ace.
“You and your fucking terms.” He snorted and shook his head at the same time he snatched the paper from my hand.
I watched as he unfolded it and read its contents.
He eyed me over the paper. “You expect me to sign this?”
“It’s a perfectly reasonable request,” I said, nodding. “It’s an agreement that once these six months are up, you will sign the divorce papers and not give me problems about doing so.”
“I’m pretty good with reading comprehension.” His tone dripped with sarcasm and disdain.
“Then you should recognize that by signing this agreement, you aren’t giving anything up. We both get what we want.”
“We do?” Both of his eyebrows lifted.
I nodded slowly.
He moved, and that time, I did take a step back. He held up the form I’d given him and tore it in half before tossing it on the floor.
“Unlike you, I keep my word. If I say I’m going to do something, I do it.”
I clenched my fists at my side. “You’re being impossible.”
He shrugged.
“Asshole,” I mumbled.
That made him smile. A genuine smile.
“And what is it that you want, Savannah?” he asked, harkening back to my earlier comment.
“You already know what I want.” My voice came out much lower than I anticipated.
Ace shook his head. “You want a divorce, but that doesn’t tell me shit about why. Why the hell after sixteen years are you coming to me with this?”
My mind grasped for bits and pieces of lies that I could tell him. He didn’t want to know the truth of why I came back after all these years. He hated me and wanted to use anything I said to continue to stoke the flames of his anger.
“I think it’s time that we finally get the divorce out of the way,” I finally said.
Ace lowered his face only inches from mine. “Your nose still flares when you lie.” His voice was menacing. “Lie to me again, and I’ll add another month.”
I bulged my eyes.
“You’ve got ten seconds to give me a straight answer.” He paused and stepped back. He pivoted on his heels. “Ten…” he counted over his should as he headed toward the kitchen.
“Nine…”
I couldn’t give him seven months. Hell, six months was pushing it.
“Because it’s a stipulation of my grandmother’s trust that I divorce you before I can receive what she left for me,” I blurted out behind him.
He spun on his heels, giving me an incredulous look. It was so full of surprise, malice, and disgust that I would’ve preferred he slapped me across the face than look at me that way.
