"Don't answer it."
It's Sandy calling.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because he deserves to lose a night's sleep—"
I put my phone back in my bag.
"—over this." He's smiling as he finishes, having seen what I've done.
"I'm not as stupid as you think."
"We'll see."
I have no energy to talk. I just...I just feel tired all of a sudden. I get to my feet, intending to thank him and book a room of my own so I can just sleep. But the moment I stand up, the whole world sways—
And just like that I'm back in his arms again, and this time I don't even have the energy to feel embarrassed. I'm just so tired I can't even pretend I'm okay.
I just start crying until my head starts hurting, and I'm still crying as I feel him lay me down on a bed, and all I can hope is that this isn't his bed because I really can't do anything but cry now.
"Rest, Nicole. It's been a long day."
He wipes my tears, and my eyes slowly close.
How confusing this man is.
I still don't understand what his deal is but right now all I want to do is sleep.
And so I do.
I'm not sure how long I sleep.
All I know is that when I wake up, it's to the sound of my phone buzzing nonstop inside my bag, now on the bedside table. I reach for it while my head pounds like I have a hangover. Not that I ever had one, but I'm sure this is how it feels.
I finally get my phone out, and my mind doesn't seem to be working right. I don't understand why there are so many missed calls and texts, and so I open just one in random—
You little tart! You'll burn in hell for this!
Why is my mother-in-law so furious?
I open another message, this time from...him.
You'll hear from my lawyer soon.
And masochist that I am, I do see an email from his lawyer, and boy does this lawyer work fast because staring back at me is Sandy’s petition for divorce...on the grounds of infidelity.
As inmyinfidelity, not his.
Chapter Five
JUST SIGN THE PAPERS, Nicole. Don't make this harder than it needs to be.
I'm still in a daze from Sandy’s email when I step out of the bedroom, and then everything becomes evenmoresurreal when the smell of breakfast hits me.
Bacon. Toast. Coffee.
The smell of every Saturday morning I can remember, and it lures me down the hallway and out to the balcony where...oh.