Page 58 of Moonlight & Matrimony
“We’re not talking about me. And I’m just helping Ivy with her piece of shit ex husband. There’s nothing more to it than that.”
“You keep telling yourself that,” he scoffs, downing the last of his beer in one pull.
“Listen, I know a thing or two about falling for the wrong person. It’s not worth it, man. You either need to tell her how you feel, or let her go and move on,” I say, giving him a little more of my story than I intended.
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“Or he could just tell Maggie he’s obsessed with her and they can fuck it out of their systems,” Ivy interjects, plopping her ass down on the step between Miles and me.
“Maggie? No idea who that is,” Miles says, standing from the steps and swiping his palms over his jeans. “I’m gonna head in. You sure it’s cool if I crash here?”
“Yeah, no problem. Bathroom is down the hall and to the right. The closet across the hall has some extra pillows and blankets.”
“Thanks,” he says before heading inside. The gentle snick of the door closing is the only sound as I’m left alone on the stairs with my wife.
“I thought you were sleeping, sweetheart.”
“Nope. But thanks for tucking me in.”
“Anytime.”
“So Miles has it bad for Mags, huh?”
“Something like that.”
Ivy scoots closer to me on the step, her hip bumping mine. Then she leans over, resting her head on my shoulder. The smell of her floral shampoo washes over me, and it’s the comfort I didn’t know I needed. Her focus is locked on the sky, no doubt taking in the almost full moon, clear and bright, not a cloud to be seen. The stars dotting the sky are an echo of the freckles that cascade along her nose and forehead, and for a moment I wonder if she knows I’m staring.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers.
“Yeah. It is.”
Luca, 1 year ago
Finding out my little sister ran off to Kentucky to marry a rich bartender was not on my bingo card, but here we are. It’s a quiet Friday night in my hometown, and instead of going out like every other 30-something, I’m sitting at home, scrolling through social media.
Mom and I are driving a U-Haul down to Kentucky in a few weeks and I’m hoping it’ll be the vacation I need to jumpstart my life again. My personal life has been stagnant ever since Sienna walked out of that restaurant. And now that their favorite verbal punching bag is no longer within arm’s reach, my parents haven’t wasted any time reminding me just how much of a disappointment I’ve become.
Distracted by my thoughts, I almost miss it as I scroll by a post from a mutual friend — a photo of Sienna in a wedding dress, her smile as bright as it had been on our anniversary 1 year ago, but now she’s standing beside a man I don’t recognize. In another picture, she’s holding a baby. The sight of it is a painful jolt to my already battered heart.
The betrayal is unexpected, not just because she’s moved on, but because it’s clear now that our entire relationship had been a lie. All the plans — the dreams, the promises — were nothing but carefully crafted illusions leaving me drowning in the wreckage of a future that had been plucked from my fingertips.
Chapter 14
Ivy
? Love you for a long time - Maggie Rogers ft. Sam Gendel, Sam Wilkes
The phone lights up on the kitchen island as I’m rinsing off a set of paintbrushes. The number for Rylin’s daycare flashes across the screen and I’m immediately on alert, dropping the brushes into the sink. She’s not supposed to be picked up for another hour, so whatever they’re about to tell me is not going to be good news.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Taylor?”
I wince at the use of my former name. “It’s Roberts now.”
“Right. I apologize. This is Catherine from Little Sprouts Learning Center.”
“Is everything ok with Rylin?” I ask. My heart lurches in my throat as I wait for a response.
