Page 73 of The Right Kind of Wrong

Nathan brushed a strand of hair out my face, his eyes swirling with worry. “A no-fault divorce. We'd be divorced in ninety days and there would be no scandal, which I'm hoping she agrees to. It's better for her, anyway.”

“What if she doesn't accept that route?”

“Then I suppose another world war will break out,” he stated sadly. Nathan sighed, shook his head before he laid his head back on the pillow. There was more he needed to say that he was avoiding.

“What's wrong?”

“Evie, if she decides to go through the divorce the hard way, a lot of shit about your family would come out and I don't want to do that to you. I don't want to hurt you.”

“Is it bad?” I asked, resting my head on his chest. He sighed, running his hand down my back.

“It's not good,” he admitted.

“Have they…hurt people?”

“Not physically per se, but financially yes…a lot.”

“I understand if you have to do it,” I whispered. “Is that why you're so worried?”

Nathan hummed in confirmation, tightening his grip around my body. “You've been through so much these past months and I hate to add more to it. I don't want to, Evie.”

I sat up, looking down at his troubled expression. At this point, there was little to nothing that any of us could do.

“I knew exactly what I was getting into when we started this, Nate. I knew the consequences it would have and I'm ready for it, so long as you stay by my side.”

“It won't be easy.”

“I know,” I replied. “But there's a light at the end of the tunnel, right?”

“Right.” He leaned up and kissed me briefly, the gesture a sign that he was trying not to worry.

“How do you feel about moving to New York?” I asked, catching him by surprise.

“Why New York?”

I shrugged, straddling him. “There's more of a chance to expose your art over there, you could set up a real studio there. Your parents live there too…”

Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. If he knew me as well as I thought he did, he would understand why I wanted to move there. Not only did I want to start over but there was one particular that was my place of choice.

“You want to be close to my parents,” he realized.

I bit my lip and nodded. The most understanding smile I'd ever seen formed on his lips and he brought me to his chest, hugging me tightly. “Are you sure, Evie? You have everything here, and Carter—”

“We can bring Carter along, I don't think he'd mind. And my friends will always be my friends…I just don't have anything else here, Nate. I want a real family and your family…they've made me feel more loved than I have my whole life.”

“So, should we start apartment hunting in New York then?” he asked, tilting my chin up.

Smiling, I jumped off of the bed to get my laptop.

I hoped that for everyone's sake my sister would agree to an easy divorce; there was no need to prolong the inevitable. Deep in my heart, I wanted her to find the same happiness I'd found, even if I wasn't around to witness it. It wasn't her fault she'd been brought up this way, but it was her fault to choose to live that way.

In the end, the choice was hers.

But this, this was my choice, and I was proud of it.

---