Page 20 of For Now

“You have no idea,” I said, backing slightly away from him. This is the closest I had been to a man since my husband.I mean,ex-husband.

“Tell me,” hesaid.

“Oh, I don’t know that I’ll ever be ready for that,” Isighed.

“I can see your sadness,” he said. “I can see you’ve been through something that wounded you. You wear it in your eyes and around your mouth. And all I’m saying is you don’t have toanymore.”

If I could ever think of a moment I was speechless, it was right then. And so he wenton.

“But, look, I understand. I know what it’s like to have this pain inside you and not be ready to put it behind you just yet. And so, if you want to be friends, we’ll be friends. That’s all right with me. For now.” He gave me asmile.

“Okay. Good,” I managed. I was still in shock from all he said and how true it was. I didn’t know I was so transparent. Or maybe he was just hyper aware. I don’t know which would make me feelbetter.

“Well, we better get going. Gotta get Mason ready for bed and whatnot,” Samuelsaid.

I walked them to the door and gave Mason a fist bump. “I’ll see you guyslater.”

“I certainly hope so,” Samuelsaid.

And they were off down the road. I watched them for a moment. Samuel was holding Mason’s hand and saying something to him I couldn’t hear. Mason was looking up at him with a smile. The whole scene was pretty adorable. It made me ache for things. Like so many other times, my hand instinctively wrapped around my center. I was just hoping he hadn’t noticed that little habit.Ughhhhhh.I needed a shower. I needed to just relax for a bit. Zoneout.

I walked back toward my bedroom and started to pull my shirt off up over my head. I heard the faint ding of my phone I left in the living room. I paused and turned to look back down the hall toward it. Somehow I just knew. I knew it wasn’t Emma or my mother or my agent. I knew it wasn’t anyone I knew. But it was someone who knew me, somehow, in someway.

Chapter Thirteen

The next timeI saw Jeff again after he left was six months later on a Wednesday. He came by the house to pick up something from his office, which I hadn’t set foot in since he’d been gone. I answered the door and he stood there smiling as if nothing had happened, as if I was supposed to be happy for some reason unbeknownst tome.

“Why the long face?” heasked.

And given I didn’t know how to respond to that, I just told him to collect what he needed and leave. He shot down the hallway toward his office, whistling. I went to make myself a cup of tea. I didn’t hear much movement back there as I steeped my tea bag and squeezed some honey into my cup but I kept my eyes fixed in his generaldirection.

After several minutes, he appeared in the doorway with a box full of items I didn’t bother checking over. If he was taking it, I certainly didn’t need it. And even if I did need it or want it, I was far too deep into my disdain for him to admitit.

“Are you all right? Are you eating well?” He had the audacity toask.

“What do you care?” Isnapped.

“Of course I care. I’ve always cared. Despite what you may think, everything I did, I did out of love for you,” hesaid.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I shook myhead.

“Well, I’mnot.”

He stated it with such a sincere tone that I realized he was absolutely delusional. “Duly noted,” Isaid.

“So how’s the writing coming along?” heasked.

I sighed. “Look, I’m not really in the mood for small talk, Jeff. So if you have what you need, you should justgo.”

“Um, well, I’ve got almosteverything.”

“What else do you needthen?”

“Delilah, well, you know, there’s the matter of um, the ring. As you know it was my grandmother’s ring, and my mother’s after her, and well, it’s meant to stay in the family you see. So, I need it back now.” His eyes were fixed on me as if his request wasn’t supposed tosting.

I hesitated before I answered. “Why are you in such a hurry to have it back? It’s not like you’re getting marriedagain.”

“Well, actually, I am. Engaged anyway. I’ll have to wait until our divorce is final before I can make it official, of course,” hesaid.

---