Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
She sits up and swings her legs over the other side of the chair and stands up, then turns to face me. She locks her hands together in front of her. “If I can use the car for a while, that would be great. At least until I can get something else. But no, I don’t want the money or the house. I don’t want any of it.”
“Damn, Nat, the car is yours. And we’ll figure out some kind of alimony.”
She reaches up and wipes a tear from under her eye. In all this time, I’ve never seen Nat cry, and I’m not sure what to make of it. She crosses her arms over her chest. “I don’t want your money, Beau.”
Speechless, I stare up at her. “You don’t want my money? Do you know how insane that sounds, Nat? You’re married to a millionaire. We’ve been married for two years. You have rights to a portion—”
She cuts me off. “My gym and maybe my car, that’s it. I don’t want anything else.”
I can’t stop the surprise on my face. I don’t understand this, and I don’t know what to say. I knew the time would come when she’d leave me, but I thought for sure she’d at least want something. But as soon as the thought comes, I want to kick myself. I don’t know why I’m so confused. The truth is, over the last two years, I’ve had to force gifts on her. She hasn’t wanted any of it. Hell, she never asked for anything. She lets her arms fall to her sides and pulls her shoulders back. “Okay, well, I’m going to go pack.”
She turns to go, and I jump up from my chair. “Where are you going to go?”
She doesn’t turn to look at me, but she does stop. “I’m not sure. I heard that the duplex your brother's girlfriend was living in is open. I may check it out. Until then, I can stay with one of my friends from my book club.”
“No!” I say as I walk around her and stop in front of her. “You can stay here.”
Again, she crosses her arms over her chest. My hands fist at my sides because I want to reach for her, but I know I can’t. I’m afraid if I do, I won’t be able to let her go. “You stay here, and I’ll move out into the pool house.”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m not taking your home. I’m sure I can find something available.”
I put my hands on my hips. “What the fuck, Nat? As of an hour ago, this was our house, our home. You’ve decided that you don’t want this… you don’t want me anymore, but the fact remains, you are my wife, so you’ll stay here.” My voice is hard as I say it again. It’s like I need to make her understand that she’s still my wife. “Until the divorce is final, you are my wife, and you will stay in our house.”
She looks completely lost, and I don’t know what to make of any of this. She doesn’t seem happy with the fact she’s asking for a divorce, but she’s still doing it. I point to the ceiling. “I’m going to go pack and go out to the pool house.”
She lets out a sob but nods her head. “Okay.”
I take three steps before I turn back to her. “Is there someone else? Is that what this is about?”
For just a second, something flashes across her face. I wonder if it’s guilt, but just as quickly, the look is gone, and she’s shaking her head. “I have never cheated on you, Beau. I would never have done that to you.”
I open my mouth and then close it. What am I going to say? Beg her to stay and give me another chance? What’s the point? She’s not happy with me obviously, and I’m not going to force her to stay.
“I’ll be back.”
I go upstairs, and my mind is going in a thousand different directions. I’ve had plenty of experience packing fast for all the business trips I’ve been on through the years, and I pack a bag with all my bathroom stuff and then with a few suits over my shoulder, I go back downstairs. I stop in my office and grab my phone and laptop. I carry it all to the back door and set it down before searching for Nat. She’s sitting at the dining room table, her head in her hands.
I want to reach for her and rub her shoulders. I can tell by the way she’s sitting that she’s either on the verge of a migraine or she’s already there.
“Do you want me to grab your medication?”
She sighs, wiping at her face before lifting her head. She looks at me through hooded eyes. Yeah, she’s definitely experiencing a migraine, but she shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll get it. Are you sure you want to do this, Beau?”