Page 96 of The Accidental Honeymoon

I am just grabbing it when I hear voices drifting from the living room. They sound upset.

“—I thought this was just an accidental thing,” a man says, sounding aggravated. Embarrassed to be overhearing something that is none of my business, I turn to creep away. But the next thing he says freezes me in my spot.

“That you’d get it annulled quickly and move on. Butthis has dragged out, and the longer it goes, the messier it gets.”

They’re talking about the annulment? Wow. When did Jay decide to move forward with that? Anger fills me, overlaying a wall of solid sadness.

I squint and listen as the silence stretches for a few seconds.

Jay says, “I just need more time to figure this out. There’s a lot at play here.”

Ouch.My hand comes up to cover my heart. I feel wounded. Shouldn’t I be involved in the conversation? At the very least, Jay could have told me so that I would be prepared.

Instead, he does this. And me? I’mdevastated. I turn on silent feet and sneak out the back door again, feeling tears pressing at the corners of my eyes.

Jay’s proposal to stay married for a few months, his assurances that it would help both our reputations, they were just what they seemed to be. A way to get what was most convenient for him. A way to buy time until he could figure out a plan B.

The air feels thick and unbreathable. Each footstep echoes with a thought as sharp as a shard of glass.He never intended for this to be real. He’s just using me.He got what he needed, so he’s going to just throw me out like a sack of hot garbage. I just feel… so stupid.

I know Jay didn’t dupe me. I willingly went for this. Just like the other guys, he realized soon enough that he could do a million times better.

I smear the beginnings of tears away from my cheeks. No crying. I don't have time for crying. I have a career to salvage.

I have a life to rebuild. One whereI’min the driver’s seat again.

I walk quickly across a busy Atlanta street, ducking behind a waiting car to get to the tall high-rise building. With tinted glass windows that reach into the sky and cool 90s chrome finishes everywhere that I look, Cora's law firm is a stark contrast to Jay's house. It’s functional, unadorned, and brimming with the specific kind of purposeful energy that only an office full of high-priced attorneys can create.

Sniffling, I ask for my sister at the front desk. The young guy working Reception looks me over and makes a quiet phone call. A minute later, he is escorting me back to Cora’s private office.

Cora is a serious rainmaker for her law firm and is a few steps away from being made an equity partner. So her office is the fifth nicest one. I helped her decorate it when she became a full-time associate and most of her stories are about the ‘boneheads’ that run her law firm.

"Calla," Cora greets me while dropping a stack of briefs onto her desk. She immediately strides over and closes the door. Then she turns and puts her hand to my shoulder. "Are you crying? What's wrong?"

I open my mouth to speak, but the words catch in my throat. Instead, I collapse into her arms, the tears I've been holding back since Jay's house now spilling over. Cora holds me tight.

“Shit,” she murmurs. “Okay, come sit down. Tell me what’s going on.”

I sink onto the couch and wipe at my eyes with the backof my hand. Cora picks up a box of tissues off a nearby table and pushes it into my hands.

"It's all such a mess," I start, my voice trembling. "We just wanted to help each other out. To make it look believable. But now..." I trail off, the enormity of it all crashing down on me. "I think I actually like him, Cora. And he doesn't feel the same. It's just business for him."

To Cora’s credit, she doesn't interrupt. She merely sits down beside me and nudges at the box in my hands. Obeying her, I pull out another tissue and futilely blow my nose, then take a deep breath and continue. "I overheard him talking about the annulment. The way they were talking, it sounded like a forgone conclusion. I— I— I was so stupid to think that maybe we could make it work. I thought that our attraction was…mutual."

“Honey.” Cora lets out a soft huff of air. "Calla, you knew this was a temporary arrangement. Why are you so upset?"

"Because I hoped!" I almost shout. "I hoped that we could turn this into something real. That he saw something in me beyond a convenient solution."

I start to sob. Cora takes my hands in hers. "Oh, sis. Don’t cry! You are as real as it gets. The important thing to know is that you are safe and you are so very, very loved.”

Her words are a balm. My wounds still bleed, but everything is better when Cora takes charge. I squeeze her hands, grateful for her steady presence. I sniffle and wheeze for a few more minutes before telling her my other bit of news.”

"I got a job offer," I say after a moment. "In New Orleans. It's a big opportunity, and it would solve a lot of my problems. But if I take it, I'll be running away from everything here. From Jay."

"You know what they say. A bird in the hand is worthtwo in the bush." Cora is always very practical in affairs of the heart.

I let her words sink in. The job in New Orleans is a sure thing. It would jumpstart my exposure and maybe even lead to more job offers. Jay is the bush. He’s a huge gamble that I already took and lost.

Hell, I’m not even sure if he’s going to be around for much longer. I need to commit myself to my new job.

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