We step to the side. Lars can be intimidating, but right now he looks apologetic. “I’m sorry, Alex.” He shakes his head and looks away. “I could barely admit it to myself. I was living a lie. It’s terrible, but I was waiting for my father to pass and—”
“You don’t have to apologize. Honestly, your orientation or when you wanted to come out is none of my business, or anyone else’s.” I do wish I would have known, though, it might have stifled some of the arguments.
“I feel partially responsible…for you and Dani…you know. I just…I should have called you.”
I’m blinking, expressionless, looking for something maliciousin his eyes, but there’s nothing. Just regret and remorse. “I know it seemed like a really big deal, but Dani and I were near the end already. I don’t think it would have made a difference.”
“Dani said the same thing, but I’m not sure I believe either one of you.”
Does Lars really have the right to know the inner workings of my relationship with Dani?
“I love Danielle, I do. We were just not good at being married anymore. For a long time. We would still be together right now if this were only because she slept with you.” I smile. “Honestly. I would have forgiven her for that. Hell, I did forgive her for that and it didn’t even happen!”
He exhales out of his nose and shakes his head like he’s exasperated. “It’s a shame, because I like you both so much,” he says.
“I appreciate you saying that. It’s all water under the bridge.”
“Yeah.” He looks up at the ceiling in thought for a momentbefore looking back at me and smiling. “So, you went younger?”
“Well, it looks like you did too,” I say lightheartedly. “It’s fun, you know?”
“It’ll do for now,” he fires back with a wink. “No one is as fun as Dani though.”
I nod and smile. He’s not wrong.
We hug. I feel a tremendous sense of relief, not just knowing Dani never cheated, but also, oddly, because Lars and Dani are working together again. He’s always been in her corner, and she deserves that support, which I hadn’t been giving her.
“Our table is ready,” Kate says behind me. We say our goodbyes to Lars and Neal.
“I’m so looking forward to a glass of wine,” Kate says.
I’m not paying attention to her. All I can think about is tellingDani that I know the truth now, and I also want to congratulate her on getting Lars on board for the show. They make an amazing writing team.
“Did you hear me?” Kate whines.
“No,” I say. “Remember? I’m hard of hearing.”
28
i can’t be this person for you
Danielle
“We should have left earlier,” I say as we inch through the security line. Noah and Ethan are quietly watching me internally melt down over the stupidity of the people in front of us who apparently have never been in an airport security line before. The TSA officer has repeated twenty times the instructions to remove shoes and belts before getting to the metal detector, and we seem to be the only people listening.
“Mom, it’s fine,” Ethan says. “You’re shaking, like uncontrollably. Chill out.”
I hear our flight being called. “Shit.”
“We’re going to make it,” Noah says. “It’s gate thirty-five, it’s like twenty feet away. I can see it from here. Stop freaking out, Mom.”
“ ’Scuse me,” I say to the security agent. “They’re calling us.”
“Come on,” she waves us over. She funnels us into a priority line and we’re through security in a minute.
I hear our names again. “Let’s just carry our shoes,” I say as I begin jogging toward the gate.
When we make it to the jetway, the male gate attendant at the podium says, “Danielle, Ethan, and Noah, I take it?”
