Page 32 of David's Chase

“David…” She breathes a sigh, her smile fading, her gaze trailing down. “David saw me as a trophy. I was never his soulmate, but we clicked. And he was very much enticed by my story. It resonated with him.”

“He was married.”

Her eyes come to mine.

“Yes, he was. But I didn’t know that up until the end. We had never discussed those types of things. It made no sense to do it. And he didn’t get a divorce because of me. The rumor was that he had, but he didn’t. Well, things weren’t that clear for me back then. I was confused and hurt by his wife's allegations. She didn’t think highly of me, which was understandable. At any rate, he had an unusual marriage and had his reasons for getting a divorce.”

The corners of my mouth slacken.

I wish she had said more about that.

“How come you didn’t fall for him?” I ask.

A quiet chuckle falls from her lips.

“I think I made it obvious in my book. I was in love with James, and there was no room for anyone else. And to be fair, David had never opened up to me or laid his soul bare. And I hadn’t either. Our story wasn’t about that.”

I kind of sag in my seat, seeing so much of what she’s talking about in my life.

David and I have an understanding, and we do our best not to be more than what we are for each other.

A trickle of disappointment makes its way into my heart. I don’t want to feel sad, but I do.

On the other hand, wanting and having more in this constantly evolving relationship scares me to no end.

I’m not ready for serious things.

Who knew?

“The good thing is that you two stayed friends,” I say, baiting her with a platitude.

“Yes. You can say that. We’ve always had each other’s backs. That’s what James likes about him. He’s a man of honor.”

I almost choke on air.

“He is?” I screech, prompting her to laugh.

It’s a good thing that he is, I suppose.

I somewhat saw that side of him myself. Which makes things even more puzzling.

As if a noncommittal man is not a puzzle in itself, he occasionally becomes the knight in shining armor, saving the day and making everything even more baffling.

“Yes. I think he is,” she says.

“He has a girlfriend,” I argue.

Pam.

Wait.

“Sabina,” I say in response to her puzzled look.

“Oh, I forgot about her. Yeah… He always has someonewithhim,” she adds as if Pam is no big deal.

Maybe I’m no big deal either.

With a heavy heart, I take the book and slide it into my backpack.

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