Page 170 of Beautiful Collide

Her eyes screaming,shut up.

“Right.” The attorney scribbles something in his notes. I’d love to see what. Something tells me it’s not favorable. Maybe he’s taking notes for when he does decide to sell our story to the tabloids.

Well, technically, he can’t do that.

Attorney client privilege. But I never paid him money . . .is privilege still in place?

I shake my head, pushing away the thoughts spiraling in my head.

“And how long ago did this . . . union take place?” At this point, I should have scheduled a root canal instead. That would have been more fun than this.

“A week,” Molly mutters, barely audible.

This time, the attorney doesn’t react, but I can see the faint twitch of his pen. “And you’re certain annulment is the best course of action?”

“Yes,” we both say at the same time, though Molly’s answer is more forceful than mine.

“All right.” He closes the folder, placing the pen down on the table beside it. “I’ll need more information to proceed, but based on what you’ve told me so far, this should be a straightforward process.”

Straightforward. Sure. Because nothing about this has been straightforward so far.

We leave the office half an hour later, and I don’t have to even look at her to feel the tension. She’s like a ticking time bomb, one that’s ready to explode.

As we walk through the parking lot, she still doesn’t break the silence.

She actually doesn’t utter one single sound until we’re both in the car, and even then, she just sits there with her arms crossed, staring out the windshield.

“Well,” I say after a long silence, “that was a waste of time.”

Molly turns to me, her eyes narrowing. “You think?” she deadpans.

Do I think? I still think getting a root canal would have been more pleasurable, but I hold back that answer.

“He wasn’t that bad.” I shrug. “I mean, he didn’t offer us a Groupon for his services like the first guy. Or a BOGO like the second guy. As if I’d get hitched again by Elvis and need another annulment. What kind of man does he think I am?”

“I think it’s kind of obvious, don’t you think?” She lets out a sigh. “None of these lawyers inspire a lot of confidence.”

I sit back in the driver’s seat. “No, but at least this office didn’t smell like burnt popcorn.”

Molly slumps back in her seat. “I can’t believe we’re doing this again. I thought the third time would be the charm.”

“Third time’s never the charm,” I say. “That’s just something people say to make themselves feel better. Like ‘love at first sight.’ Or ‘just the tip.’” I laugh.

She gives me a side-eye glare, but there’s no real heat behind it. “You’re not helping.”

“Sure, I am,” I say, flashing her my best grin. “I’m keeping things light. You’d be miserable without me.”

“I’d be less annoyed without you.” She’s trying to sound angry, but I don’t miss the faint smile tugging at her lips.

I laugh, starting the car. “All right, where to next? Do we find lawyer number four, or do we just wait for Elvis to call us and offer his legal expertise?”

Molly groans, covering her face with her hands. “I can’t believe I’m stuck doing this with you.”

“Hey, don’t blame me,” I say, pulling out of the parking lot. “You said yes, remember? This is a fifty-fifty partnership, Hex.”

“Do you ever take anything seriously?”

“Sure.” I glance at her quickly before focusing back on the road. “Like hockey. And my fantasy football league. And this weird little marriage we’ve got going on.”

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