Page 108 of A Chance for Us
“You had Sean and Austin.”
“Yes, and you have Oliver.”
I sigh. “I do, but I worry.”
“About?”
“With my father gone, there’s no need for pretense anymore. He could end things, and I wouldn’t blame him. I keep thinking about how he should, even.”
Devney takes a sip of her wine and watches me. “You don’t believe that. If he only cared about maintaining the lie, he wouldn’t have been there with you for a week right before the resort fully opened. He sure as shit wouldn’t have called me to ask if I would come see you so you wouldn’t be alone when you got home.”
She’s right. “Okay, so, maybe it’s that I worry we won’t work for other reasons.”
“Such as?”
“Is this not incredibly strange talking about Oliver?”
Devney raises one brow. “Not any stranger than watching you marry him.”
“Point taken.”
“We don’t have to talk about any of this, Maren. I came here to be a shoulder to cry on or the friend who holds your hair back if you get obliterated drunk. Either one works.”
I rest my head on the back of the couch and shrug. “I don’t want to talk about Georgia.”
“I understand.”
“I should. I know I should.”
“Says who?” Devney asks. “There are no rules for grieving, Mare. You can talk or not or cry or not, there’s no wrong way or timeframe on it either. I don’t care what people say, some days you’re going to be in the shit and other days won’t hurt.”
“Do you still cry?”
The last thing I want is to make her sad, but I don’t know what to expect. I was so young when my mother died that it’s hard to remember how I felt or how I endured it.
“I do. I miss my brother. He was my best friend, and . . .” She looks into her wine as she slowly swirls it around the glass. “I hate saying this, but there are times I feel so much guilt that it can choke me. My brother was supposed to raise Austin. That was the agreement. Yes, he is my son, but that wasn’t supposed to be my role, you know? Then the accident happened, and I was a mom to this kid who thought I was his aunt. I shouldn’t have him. I shouldn’t have the life I have.”
I reach over, taking her hand. “I think we all have the lives we have by design.”
“Maybe, but then how the hell do you explain your love life?”
“I can’t. I’m married to your ex—actually legally married—for now, but we’re dating, which is strange.”
Devney smiles. “It’s also amazing. Wait, what do you mean for now?”
I place the glass down on the coffee table. “I’m filing for divorce.”
“What? Why? What?” She sits up straight.
“I spoke with a divorce attorney the day before I left, and she is drawing the paperwork up. She’s not sure if I can do an annulment since I kind of tricked him into it, but she thinks he would have to file it. Either way, I’m going to let him out of it.”
“What does he think about this?”
“I haven’t told him.”
Devney’s jaw opens and closes. “I’m going to assume you were of sound mind when you came up with this plan?”
“Obviously.”
