Page 118 of A Chance for Us
“Oliver, there’s something I want to talk about . . .”
“Me too,” I say, putting my fork down.
“You do?”
I nod. “Yes, but you go first.”
She gives me a soft smile. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
I’m in no hurry to ruin the rest of the small amount of time we have left together. I really wanted to do it after we made love, when she was sated and maybe a little less likely to be upset, but those moments came and went without the words coming from my lips.
She lets out a huge sigh. “Okay. I’ll be right back.” Maren rushes out of the room, and returns with something that looks like an envelope, before placing it on her lap as she sits. “I first want to tell you how much I care about you. I didn’t know that I could feel this way about anyone. I thought I had my life all figured out. I had plans, and those plans weren’t this, but then they became this, which is great and perfect. I know you wanted to be alone and didn’t plan this either.”
Her rambling has me going in circles, but it sounds like she needs me to agree. “I did.”
“That’s what is so perfect about us. We were completely okay with the plan to walk away at the end of this charade. We never had plans to be together past our fake wedding.”
“Which changed,” I say carefully.
“Yes, but not by choice, not really. Not in the end.”
I lean back, trying to decipher what she’s saying. It’s impossible, so I just nod.
She grabs the envelope and hands it to me. “Here.”
I grab it, open the flap, watching her as I do it. She looks nervous. When I slide the paperwork out, my vision goes red.
She filed for a fucking annulment.
An annulment. After everything. This whole weekend of us being together, saying all kinds of bullshit, she had this planned.
I can’t believe this.
Once again, I’m not what the woman I love wants.
I’m fucking done.
I look up at her, and instead of sadness or regret, she looks hopeful. “You want an annulment?”
“Yes, but . . .”
“But what?”
Her head jerks back at the bite in my voice.
“Well, I just thought . . .”
“You thought what?” I ask, anger in every syllable. She didn’t think. She just fucking went off on her own.
“I thought this is what you’d want?”
What part of me driving here and spending time with her made her think this is what I want? Nothing.
No, this is whatshewants.
This is exactly what I wondered about. Her father is gone, I’m no longer required for her scheme, so she’s cutting ties. Unreal.
