I groan under my breath. If anything can unravel a good day, it’s Pete Hayes.
I walk past him, pretending not to see him—an immature move, but I don’t have the bandwidth for this.
“Olivia.” He grabs my arm.
I whirl around to face him and the sharpness in my gaze stops him mid-sentence. “Pete, stop right there. I’m going to make this really simple. We. Are. Divorced.”
Each word lands with deliberate finality.
“Who you sleep with is none of my business. But if it’s one of my friends—yeah, call me crazy or unreasonable—I do expect to be told.”
“I broke it off with Erin. I don’t want her.”
I raise a hand, stopping him cold. “Pete, you and I are over, and it has nothing to do with Erin. The chance to mend our marriage is long gone. I spent the last five years telling you what was missing, what we needed, how to fix it, and it was like talking to a brick wall.”
My tone softens, not out of pity but exhaustion. “You stayed silent, shut me out, and I kept giving you time—days, weeks, months—to come around. You never did. We can’t go back. We’re done.”
He opens his mouth, but I don’t let him speak. “I’ll always care about you, and yes, I’ll always love you in my own way. You’re the father of my children. We had something good. Once. We built a life, made two incredible humans, and shared beautiful memories. But that’s where it ends. I want us to be civil, to co-parent peacefully, but there is no us anymore.”
Saying it still hurts, though not for the reason it used to. It’s not longing; it’s grief for a friendship that I’m only now realizing ended long ago.
“Shit, Liv.” His voice is thick with regret. “I messed up. I know that now. I was a dumbass who thought we’d be together forever. I buried my head in the sand and thought if I ignored it, it would fix itself. I can’t imagine my life without you. The days since you left have been the darkest of my life. I love you. Please, just give us another chance.”
His words might have broken me open…once upon a time. But now they don’t even ripple the surface. Nothing. Not anger. Not yearning. Just, maybe…sadness.
“Pete, there are no more chances.”
He swallows hard, eyes glassy. “Liv…”
My chest tightens. I don’t want to hurt him, even if he hurt me. He takes my hand, pulling me closer. I let him, just long enough to place my palm flat against his chest, a final gesture, a goodbye that says everything words can’t.
“You’re a good man, Pete. You just couldn’t give me what I needed. I think you know, as well as I do, where things went wrong. And I finally realized I couldn’t keep asking you for something you didn’t have to give.”
Tears sting my eyes, but I hold steady. “I’ve moved on. I’ve found someone who makes me happy. Someone I love deeply. I wish you the best, truly. I hope you find love again. You deserve that.”
He stares at me for a long beat, and under the silver wash of moonlight, I see how much he’s aged, how much we both have. There’s sorrow there, and maybe growth too.
“Olivia,” he sighs, his voice breaking. “I’ll always love you.”
He pulls me into a brief, tender hug and presses a kiss to my hair before letting go.
“Bye, Pete.”
He nods, defeated but composed. “Tell Paige I love her. I’ll call her tomorrow.”
“I will.”
He lingers a moment longer, his eyes searching mine as if trying to find the woman who once loved him. I love that woman, even with her flaws and challenges. How could I not?
She got me to where I am today. She got me Drew and Paige. And ultimately, because of her, I also got Sam. But she’s gone, replaced by someone stronger, clearer, finally free.
The weight that’s been pressing on my chest lifts just enough for me to breathe again. I stand in the cool night air for a long time after, the wind tugging at my hair, before finally heading inside. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring with Sam—but tonight, for the first time in years, I know exactly who I am without Pete Hayes.
I know who I am. Period. With or without any man.
38
SAM
