My phone vibrates in my hand, and I see a new text.
Oliver:Where are you? I stopped by your building and the doorman said you’re not home. Isn’t the unemployed guy supposed to spend the day sleeping on the couch?
“Go fuck yourself, asshole,” I mutter to the empty car.
Me:On my way. Just dropped Alicia off.
Before I pull out of the driveway, I see Ethan driving up in Ceci’s old car. He lowers the window, types something into the keypad, and the garage door opens. He drives inside. The door shuts behind him. He doesn’t look at me.
I know he saw me. There’s no way you can miss a graphite Range Rover Sport parked right in front of your house. AndI know he knows it’s me, I’ve been driving this car for three months.
I got rid of the other three: the sporty one, the exclusive one, the vintage one—all the models I used to drive before. I didn’t want anything that reminded me of my worst choices, of who I gave rides to, or of the things I did in those cars.
With my chest tightening at being dismissed so coldly by my own boy, I shift into reverse and pull away from their house.
I hand Oliver the whiskey and take the armchair across from him, sipping my lime tonic water.
“Along with the vow of chastity, did you also cut out alcohol, Mr. Montgomery?” Oliver asks, his tone pure mockery.
“You’re exhausting. I honestly don’t know how Felicity has put up with you all these years. I see you for a few hours a month and sometimes that’s already too much.”
“Nonsense. You adore me. That’s why you always let me in when I show up for my charity visit to New York City’s least eligible bachelor.”
He waves a hand, and I glare at him.
Oliver takes another sip of whiskey and continues, “Felicity loves me. The same way I can’t live without her, she can’t live without me. And besides—” he winks, “I have my... talents.”
“Spare me your happily-ever-after and whatever goes on in your bedroom.”
We just sit there for a while.
“How are things with the kids... and with Cecily?”
I open my eyes and straighten at the seriousness in his voice.
“I’ve only seen Ceci once since the divorce. When I told her I’d bought this penthouse. We talk on the phone sometimesif there’s something about the kids that needs to be handled. Mostly, we text.”
I hesitate, remembering what it felt like to see her that day.
“She’s blooming, Oliver. It’s like being without me is... good for her. Like she’s getting ready to become the best version of herself... one that doesn’t include me.” A breath catches in my throat. “She looks more beautiful every day.”
I saw her a second time, but I don’t mention it to Oliver. Last month, when I was pulling into the gas station, she was getting ready to get into her car. She was wearing a cream-colored dress with a cross-over bodice that wrapped around her. I’d never seen that dress before, or at least I don’t remember it.
She was stunning.
Ceci got into her car and drove away without even noticing I was there. My mind spent the rest of the day torturing me with possibilities.
I clear my throat. “Things with Ethan are exactly the same. Like I told you last time.”
I tell him what happened less than an hour ago, and the pity in his eyes makes me feel two inches tall.
“But you said things were slowly getting better with Alicia, right?”
At that, I smile. I tell him about today, and—predictably—he bursts out laughing when I repeat what she said about my beard.
“And she’s right. Some men can pull off a beard. You aredefinitelynot one of them.”
I tell him to go to hell, which only makes him laugh harder.
