Page 36 of What Broke First
Matt stared at the screen, jaw tightening. The timing was brutal. It was like the universe had a direct line to his humiliation and decided to share it with family.
He hadn’t told his parents everything. Not even close. They knew about the divorce, but not the specifics. Not the late-night confession. Not the woman whose name he could barely say out loud. His mom had been silent for a while. Too silent. And now, just when he was barely holding himself together, she wanted answers.
He could still picture the way she looked at him the last time he visited. Not angry. Just... disappointed. Like he was a man she didn’t recognize. Like she had raised someone better than this.
Matt sighed and rubbed his hand down his face, dragging the moment out as long as he could.
Then he typed back.
Matt: We’re just leaving Tommy’s soccer game. He scored a goal tonight.
It was true. And just misleading enough to avoid more questions. He put the phone away and sat in his car, staring at nothing.
He had been holding on. But to what?
Chapter 20: Sarah’s Surprise Date
Sarah had agreed to the date mostly out of principle. James had been kind, steady, and always available, but it was becoming obvious that their connection wasn’t going anywhere meaningful.
Carter was not emotionally available. So, when her friend Chloe casually mentioned that her husband’s friend from work was single, attractive, emotionally literate, and “definitely not a cheater,” Sarah had hesitated for only two seconds before saying yes.
Which is how she found herself sitting at Sneaky Pete's, a charming rooftop bar in a soft green dress, sipping a lavender gin cocktail, wondering if this was what moving on was supposed to feel like.
Enter Jordan.
He was tall, with an easy smile and brown eyes that didn't just see you, they heard you. That was the first thing she noticed, he listened.
Not the fake “smile and nod while checking out your legs” kind.
The real kind.
He asked about her job, her kids, and her favorite books.
And he remembered the answers.
He laughed at her dry jokes.
He didn’t interrupt.
He didn’t try to impress her with stock tips or car specs.
Jordan was... normal. Alarmingly so.“You’re a good listener,” Sarah said, twirling her straw between her fingers.
Jordan smiled, amused. “That’s a low bar these days.”
“I’ve had dates where I could’ve recited the ingredients of antifreeze and they wouldn’t have noticed,” she said.
“Sounds like Carter,” he teased gently.
She raised an eyebrow. “Who told you about Carter?”
“Chloe. She didn’t spill details, just hinted that the last guy might’ve confused confidence with charisma.”
Sarah laughed. “That’s uncomfortably accurate, but I am also still a rookie in the dating scene.”
He smiled, setting down his fork. “You’re doing great. I mean, unless that comment about your daughter using nail polish to glue puzzle pieces together was supposed to scare me off.”
She laughed. “She’s five and a tiny sociopath.”
