Page 35 of The Seven Month Itch
I sigh. “It’s nothing. I’m ready for this to be over.”
He takes a beat before he sits in front of me with a look on his face I can’t decipher. “You’re not having a good time?” His concern is so confusing. Why can’t estranged husbands come with some type of manual?
My mouth opens to respond but snaps shut when I take him in. Is it too much to ask for him to look awful for one day? I’m two seconds from crisis, and he looks ready for a night on the town collecting women’s panties.
His navy button-down shirt rests against his broad chest and dark denim jeans. The top two buttons are undone to reveal the gold chain his mother gave him when he turned sixteen. It’s subtle, but it doesn’t fail to make a statement.
How is this fair?
“It’s so hard being the life of the party.” I fan myself and roll my eyes.
He chuckles at the joke and scoots closer. “So what’s new?” Terrence’s voice crashes into me and crumbles my guard. Oh, hell. I miss this. Our talks. How easy it is to connect.
It takes a second to push down the emotions and answer. “Well, I got a promotion. I’m now the vice president of marketing.”
His eyes go wide. I see the urge to pick me up and spin me. “That’s great, Jay!” He slaps the table. “I know how hard you worked for that. It was only a matter of time.” Pride sparkles in his eyes.
Terrence was there from the beginning. He encouraged me to take the job in Austin that uprooted us from Los Angeles. It was a bit of an adjustment since all of his business contacts were still in California at the time. But he never complained or made me second-guess my decision—our decision.
We stare into each other’s eyes in silence, a habit that seems hard to break. The air crackles between us, and it’s too much to bear.
Damn it. Do not cry.
“What about you?” I cough. “I’m sure you’re living it up internationally.”
He gives a slight nod. “Business is good. There’s a lot of work, and you know me.” He rubs the back of his neck, a tell he’s uncomfortable. He doesn’t like to talk about his success, but what he’s accomplished is no small feat.
Terrence created a company that aligns with his passion and allows him to reach so many goals. He bought the house on the corner of my favorite block, the one that always caught my eye on our strolls. He moved his mother out of the small apartment he grew up in and into her very first home. She’s now retired and spends her days traveling, courtesy of her loving son. Sadly, Abuela Reyes passed while Terrence was in college, but I know she would be proud of him. She always was.
“So we’re both workaholics,” I say, making us both laugh. We might come from different backgrounds, but Terrence and I are no strangers to hard work. We see what we want and go after it.
I reach for his hand out of habit. “Regardless of what this retreat brings, I really hope you find happiness outside of your job.” Look at that. My courage kicked in. A few glasses of champagne and whiskey did the trick. “I mean it. I know we didn’t work out, but—”
“Justice.” His hand covers mine. There’s more he wants to say but can’t find the words. So I continue.
“We don’t have to talk about it. I know you and Madison are… If she’s the one you want”—I swallow and look him in the eyes—“I truly hope you’re happy. Things haven’t been the best between us.” That’s putting it lightly. “I don’t want that anymore. Like you said, it’s time for us to both move on. God knows it’s been a while.” The last part comes out in an unassured laugh.
Holy crap. I didnotexpect to say all of that.
Something changed in me tonight. I didn’t think I could stomach the sight of him as a bachelor, but I remembered an important lesson:
I’m still alive.
Do I spend the rest of my years in tears over my failed marriage and the man I loved? Or do I pick myself up and pour intome?
At the buzzer, the event coordinator signals for the next move. Terrence takes one look at me before he gets up to leave.
“Goodbye, Justice.”
“Goodbye.”
Chapter 17
Justice
As expected, Emma didn’t come back to our room last night. Out with the suit, is my guess. She did stroll in around noon, just in time for us to order lunch and exchange notes about speed dating. I gave myself a gold star in the form of a croissant the size of a boulder for not bringing up Terrence.
Today is a new day, one with a stomach full of carbs and horseback riding in the snow.
