“There isn’t much to say.” I take a quick sip of my drink. “Anymore, that is. I probably could’ve talked your ear off this time last year. Even a few months ago, but I’ve forgiven him—for my sanity, not because he deserves it. And I’ve moved on. Or, you know, I’m trying to.”
“Did he ever apologize?”
My mind replays one of our final conversations the day I handed him the divorce papers. I was sad. I was hurt. I felt empty and lost. But I also felt sure. I knew it was the right thing.
“He did. We’ve had a lot of really mature conversations, and I think that’s why when he does go through one of his immature moments I get so mad and upset. Because I know he can be rational, he just chooses not to be all the time.”
“Yeah, that’s hard. It’s probably his way of dealing with it, right? Lashing out for no reason.”
“Brandon’s always had a temper. I knew that going into our relationship, but I always looked at his hotheaded personality about things as passion. I laugh at myself now for that.”
“I promised I’d never ask about him and what happened—but I do need to know if he ever laid a hand on you. Please tell me if he touched you, Dem.”
Liam’s eyes plead with me for honesty.
“He never laid a hand on me. I promise. Our arguments were verbal—never physical.”
He exhales a deep breath and nods. “Okay. I don’t want to say that’s good because, you know, fuck him for raising his voice at you, but I’m glad it never escalated.”
Shaking my head, I scoot a little closer toward him on the couch.
“It didn’t. When I—” I stop myself. “Never mind.”
“No, what?”
“I don’t want to make you sit through the downfall of my marriage. What a boring way to spend the evening.”
His head tilts and he gives me an amused smirk. “I already said you can if you need to.”
Moments like this remind me that I didn’t have anyone to talk to during my separation and divorce. I worked through things with my therapist and I’d give my mom weekly updates on things, but neither of those are the same as having a person.
It just made me miss Brianna even more than I already do.
“The articles that came out last December about him cheating on me were true, but we were already having a hard time before any of that came out. Yes, he cheated.” I sigh, unable to make eye contact with Liam. “But our issues started before that.”
“It doesn’t excuse him cheating.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It doesn’t.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you, Dem. It pisses me off knowing the person who was supposed to love you the most hurt you in that way.”
For a while I chose not to speak on things that happened. On how it all ended and what led up to it. It’s no one’s business. But, at the same time, all that does is protect the image of someone who I no longer respect. And how is that fair to me? I don’t owe Brandon anything. Plus, is it really bad-mouthing someone if all I’m doing is explaining what they did to me?
“You know what the craziest part about everything is?” I laugh to myself, finding actual humor in the whole situation now.
“Hmm?”
“Remember when you and I first met?”
His brow raises and his perfectly sharp jawline twitches as he grins.
“It was a Friday?—”
“Okay,” I say, interrupting him with a laugh.
“Of course I do.”
“I wasn’t wearing an engagement ring because we were working on things at that time.”
