She let it transfer to voicemail. Then she sat up and scooted back, using the headboard for support while searching his name on the internet. She hadn’t let herself look for what had been posted about him lately, not since she’d found that picture of him with Marija Vidmar. She knew she shouldn’t be doing it now, but the temptation was simply too great.
She found pictures and video clips of him from his last game and the spate of interviews that had followed, but when she discovered nothing else about Marija or any other woman, a wave of relief crashed over her so powerfully it was impossible to ignore him again when he called right back. Part of her still insisted that this whole thing was merely a terrible mistake—a nightmare that would eventually go away and all would be well again. They’d had so much fun together in the beginning.
Bracing for the sound of his voice and the memories it would evoke, she answered.
“There you are,” he exclaimed. “What the hell do I have to do to get a response from you?”
She didn’t owe him anything. Not anymore. But she didn’t want to start a fight. Tonight, after her call with her parents, she was all about mending fences and finding her old equilibrium. Could that happen with Cliff, too? Could they reconcile and forget he’d ever asked for a divorce?
It didn’t seem too farfetched at the moment—if she refused to acknowledge the past couple of months and focused only on the commitment she’d felt when they were together. “I’ve been...”decimated, hurt, drowning in confusion“...busy,” she finished.
“With what?”
Had he been payinganyattention to what was happeningin her life? “Starting my new book. Learning about my birth mother. Getting to know Lilly.”
“What’s she like?”
The thought of her half sister caused a warm feeling to bubble up from somewhere deep inside. “Like a fawn that suddenly finds itself alone and doesn’t know where to turn. She’s always watching what’s going on around her, hanging out on the periphery, in case she needs to bolt.”
“You and your analogies,” he said, the eye-roll audible.
Charlotte had been trying to convey something that was meaningful to her—the insecurity Lilly felt and what a beautiful, innocent creature she was. But he was obviously irritated by the way she’d chosen to express it. Or just didn’t care enough to understand.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.
“It’s just the way you talk. You’re the only one I know who does it.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, stung.
He offered no apology, which was ironic since, in her opinion, he was the one who should’ve been apologizing. “We made the finals. Did you see?”
Not until she’d googled his name a few seconds earlier. “Yeah. Congratulations. You must be thrilled.”
“I am. I scored twenty-eight points, turned the final game around. We couldn’t have pulled it off otherwise.”
“And the other guys?” She said that to emphasize that he was part of a team, but he didn’t seem to catch on to the fact that she was pointing out whathealways did—and that was make everything about him.
“They helped.”
It was a throwaway statement, as if to say they’d contributed only a small amount. “That’s... wonderful.”
“I wish you’d been here to see it.”
“I’m glad you’re being successful and enjoying your career. That’s why you said you wanted a divorce, right? So you can have some fun during your basketball days?”
“Stop it,” he said. “I didn’t mean that the way you’re taking it.”
How else could she take it, especially after he showed up in Vegas with a beautiful model? “Are you still seeing Marija?”
“No. She has no sense of humor, no personality at all.”
“I didn’t know it was her personality you were after.”
“Come on, Char. I know you’re upset. But everyone has second thoughts once in a while. The important thing is... I miss you and I’m sorry for what I did.”
“Are you saying you want to get back together?”
“I do. Life isn’t the same without you. I want to see if we can make our marriage work.”
