“I feel like roadkill right now,” Charlotte said. “But I’d be a lot worse off if Jules wasn’t here.”
“What’d Cliff do?” she demanded.
“He told me he wanted a divorce.”
“Why?”
“That part isn’t entirely clear.”
Sloane remembered the picture she’d seen of Cliff with another woman while googling his name to learn more. “It’s not because of Marija Vidmar, is it?”
“You saw that picture?”
“I’ve been digging for details ever since the first article popped up.”
“It could be. They looked pretty cozy—don’t you think? But the only thing he’ll say is that he doesn’t want to be married anymore.”
Sloane winced. “Do you think it’s over for good?”
There was a slight hesitation, but then Charlotte said, “I do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I,” she said. “I know I wasn’t the friend I should’ve been while I was married to him. I just... I was trying so hard to keep him happy. I really wanted to make our marriage work. And maybe I compromised too often. Actually, Ididcompromise too often.”
Little good it’d done her. Sloane wanted to say as much. But she couldn’t pile on. Her best friend had been hurt, and that made her too defensive to worry about her own complaints over the last few years. “He’ssucha douchebag. Not because he wanted out, but because he was downright controlling while you were together. So what are you going to do from here? Where will you live?”
“I’ll probably stay with my parents for the time being. It doesn’t feel great to be home again at this age. It’s like being sent back to the starting point of life. But I don’t have the mental energy to do anything else. I have to write my next book. It’s due in three months.”
“And are you pretty far along?” Sloane asked hopefully.
There was a pause, then Charlotte said, “Not really.”
“What does that mean? How many more pages do you have to go?”
“Like... four hundred.”
“Four hundred?That’s basically the whole novel!”
“Yeah. And I have to come up with an idea before I can start.”
“Oh, my God!” Sloane said. “Char, what can I do to help? Do you need me to come to California? I can see if Rory will cover the store.”
“No, definitely not. I could never ask you to leave your husband and your business, especially when I’m the only one who can get me out of this jam.”
Sloane couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed. The business could take all the time and energy she had to give it, but she needed a chance to get her own head together. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. But...” Charlotte’s voice grew wobbly. “I love you. I’m sorry I neglected you and Jules. You two are the ones who really care about me.”
“Don’t apologize,” Sloane said. “That’s the last thing you have to worry about.”
“I’ve told her that,” Julian piped up.
“He’s right,” Sloane told Charlotte. “You’re going to get through this, you know. And if Cliff gives you any trouble, you just tell me.” She’d love to give that man a piece of her mind and say all the things she wished Charlotte had said but didn’t.
“I’ll get through it,” Charlotte echoed. “Anyway, enough about me. How areyou?”
Sloane wished she could answer honestly. The truth sat on her chest like a giant anvil, almost crushing her to death. But now was not the time. Maybe the right time would never come.
