Page 51 of What Broke First
She ruffled his hair. "I'm okay, baby. Go grab your backpack."
The kids left for school, and Sarah stood by the sink a long time after, staring out the window but not really seeing anything.
Meanwhile, Matt was back at the office, where Jim Holloway stopped by with a folded program in his hand.
"We're announcing your partnership at the annual charity event this weekend," he said, tapping the paper against Matt's desk. "Press will be there. Big turnout. Hope you've got a tux."
Matt sat back. "No date required, right?" Jim chuckled. "Only if you want to bring one." Matt offered a quick nod. "Then I guess I'm flying solo.
The rest of the week passed in a blur of meetings, planning, and glances at the email thread coordinating the event.
Saturday night arrived quickly. Matt stood in front of his bedroom mirror, adjusting the collar of a perfectly tailored tuxedo. Crisp white shirt, jet-black jacket.
He looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine.
The ballroom was glittering with lights and laughter when he stepped in. Cameras flashed. Glasses clinked. And when the announcement came, "Matt Taylor, our newest partner," he stood tall, shaking hands, posing for photos, smiling like he didn't still ache just under the surface.
The celebration was wild. The champagne flowed freely, and laughter echoed off the high ceilings. Matt was pulled into toast after toast, his name repeated with admiration.
He danced with three different women, none of whom he knew well, all of whom seemed delighted just to be in the orbit of the new partner.
Lily even stopped by during one song. She offered her hand with a simple, "One dance for old times sake?"
Matt hesitated for half a second, then nodded. As they moved together on the floor, she looked up at him with a softness he hadn't seen in a long time.
"I'm really happy for you, Matt," Lily said, her voice low. "Sarah's lucky, you know. Even if she doesn't know it."
Matt didn't flinch, didn't correct her, didn't say that Sarah had likely given up on him already. He just offered a small smile.
"I'm sorry things got messy," he said. "No hard feelings." She gave a crooked grin. "Well, it wouldn't be us if it weren't a little messy."
They both laughed, genuinely this time. The press snapped a few photos, but there was no spark, no danger. Just history fading out.
By the time he returned home, he was tipsy and flushed from laughter. He pulled out his phone, thumb hovering over Sarah's contact.
He wanted to text her, tell her everything, the win, the feeling, how he'd danced but thought of her every time.
But it was after midnight.
Instead, he placed his phone on the bedside table, plugged it into the charger, turned onChampagne on the Riderby Magic City Hippies, and stepped into the shower. The music bounced off the tiles as he sang along, water steaming around him.
He felt good.
Accomplished, even.
He had just stepped out of the shower, steam still clinging to the mirror, when his phone buzzed on the nightstand.
LILY
1:12 a.m.
Incoming Call
He hesitated, towel slung low around his waist. For half a second, he considered ignoring it.
Then it buzzed again.
He answered.
