“You called it,” Wes says.
“Called what?” I walk to the kitchen and bring the salad to the dinner table.
She cringes. “I told Wes about the way you looked at her in the movie theater and how you guys met. No biggie.” I stare at her. She hardly knows Emma, and she’s already being this nosy? What’s going to happen when she meets them? Heaven forbid.
Wow, I’m thinking about her meeting them.Maybe I’ll invite her to Chicago when we visit my sister around Christmas.
Whoa, too big a step.
“So, how is she in bed?” Wes asks.
Lainey smacks his arm. “Pig.”
We both snort. There’s no way in hell I’m telling Wes how Emma is in bed, which is fucking fantastic.
Lainey walks back to the nook.
“Details later?” he whispers.
“Wesley Dominic Hayes!” our sister yells in such a high pitch that we both flinch. “Grayson will not be discussing how Emma is in bed with you!”
She’s not wrong, but I really do feel bad for Wes. They’re twins with a close bond I could never fully understand. They argue more often than not because they spent so much time together as kids and learned everything about each other.
“She’s right,” I confirm. “I’m not telling you jack shit.”
He frowns, and Lainey speaks yet again. “So, big bro, I didn’t know if I should tell you this, but now that I know you’ve moved on, I feel like I can.”
For fuck’s sake,that doesn’t sound good.
I motion my head to Wes so he can help me arrange the turkey onto a platter. We lift it by the strings I wrapped around it and set it down on the large white plate.
“I ran into Chloe while I was in London.” Wes snaps his head toward Lainey as my jaw tightens. I’m not sure how to react to what she just said. I don’t feel anything except curiosity about how my ex-wife is doing. I never stopped caring about Chloe, nor do I hold any ill will against her, and as far as I know, it’s the same on her end.
“As I said, I didn’t know if I should mention it or not,” Lainey continues. “However, I think you now need to know that your ex-wife is dating and living with another man she’s been seeing for the last six months.” I count back six months. They began dating before our divorce. It doesn’t hurt me or make me jealous, but it does surprise me a bit. Although we’d been separated for almost two years at that point and unhappy for twice as long. “They have a dog too. A Pomeranian. He’s adorable and very friendly, and she asked about you and how you were doing.”
“Okay,” I respond slowly.
“Anyway, I thought you might like to know that she’s happy.”
“Okay,” I say again. “I’m happy for her.” I truly am. Chloe deserves to be happy after everything we went through.
She shakes her head and smiles. “Everything really does happen for a reason.” Lainey finishes the last piece of cheese and washes her hands. “Okay, let’s eat this delicious dinner that you guys made, and I had no hand in.” She lifts a bottle. “But I did bring the wine.”
“I need a minute,” I tell her, then walk to my bedroom and lock the door.
Chloe is living with someone and has a dog. Chloe always claimed she didn’t want a pet until we were completely settled in, which turned out to be never. I guess there’s been a part of me wondering how she’s been doing all this time, due to feeling guilty about going on so many dates…and then liking Emma the way I do.
Liking someone in such a different way than I did Chloe.
I dial the number on my screen. On the fourth ring, she picks up.
“Hey,” she whispers.
Ah, fuck. “Shit, sorry. Did I interrupt your dinner?” I check the time and see that it’s seven p.m., so I must’ve.
There’s the sound of a door closing before she speaks again. “My family’s getting the table ready. I’m hiding in the bathroom.”
Leaning against my dresser, I say, “I’m hiding in my bedroom.”