Page 4 of Laws of Love
Aiva scrunched up her face. “You know I hate those.”
“I know. That’s why we’re watching one,” Meila responded with a smile.
Aiva rolled her eyes. “I love that my disgust while watching those amuses you.”
“I love it too,” her sister responded, standing. “I’ll see you at seven?”
“Fine. Just know if I have to be subjected to that torture, you’re paying for the food and wine.”
“Works for me.”
Aiva watched her sister leave before placing the tequila bottle back into the bottom drawer. Grabbing the two shot glasses, she went into the break room. She washed and dried them before taking them back into her office, where she put them away and returned to work.
She’d been catching up on some emails when Finx buzzed her office. She already knew what he was going to tell her and told him to send Kyan in once he finished his spiel.
A couple of minutes later, Kyan walked into her office, and the two women greeted one another. Pulling the manila envelope from one of her desk drawers, she held it out to Kyan, but didn’t release it when the other woman grabbed it.
“Remember what I said. You cannot serve him yourself. You can’t even give this to him,” Aiva reminded.
“Of course. My friend is going to meet me there in half an hour.”
“You’re doing it now? Not wasting any time, I see.”
“I’ve wasted enough of it,” Kyan responded, and Aiva nodded. “I know Andrew. He may not sign them.”
“He doesn’t have to. We can petition the court after ninety days if he has not,” Aiva informed her. “I’ll get the paperwork ready, and when the time comes, we’ll just send it in.”
Kyan smiled at her. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
The two women said their goodbyes, and once Kyan had exited her office, Aiva turned her attention back to emails. She had a couple of other cases she was dealing with at the moment, and one of her clients was currently out of the country working. However, Aiva had received a proposed agreement from his wife’s lawyer, and she wanted to send it over for him to look at. It was better than the last one. However, Aiva didn’t see him agreeing to it.
His wife was attempting to get every holiday with their son and only offered him one weekend a month. Aiva knew her client wanted to have his son at least two weekends out of the month and rotate holidays. It was what he’d decided he’d settle on when his soon-to-be ex made it clear she wouldn’t rotate weeks with him.
Aiva felt as if she was just being stubborn, and a part of her knew the woman was using their son as leverage, as a final way to make her client suffer for leaving her. Which, to Aiva, was stupid because it was her own infidelity that had broken up her marriage.
Five o’clock rolled around before Aiva realized it, and it was only Finx calling into her office and telling her he was headed out for the day that she decided to leave, too. After shutting everything down, and grabbing her bag, Aiva went to her sister’s office. She knew Meila well enough to know that she would be there for at least another hour. She usually stayed longer when she had mediation or court that day.
Aiva found her typing away. She only paused briefly to pick up the credit card that was sitting on the desk and hold it out to her. Taking the card, Aiva told Meila she’d see her at seven and left. She relocked the front door and got into her car.
Deciding that she’d shower and change before choosing dinner for her and Meila, Aiva pulled out of the parking spot and headed towards her townhouse.
Knox stood outside of the elementary school as he waited for the bell to ring. He’d gotten there about five minutes ago, parked, and walked to the front like a few other parents had done. One of the other dads had stopped him, asked for his autograph, and told him he hated he was no longer playing. Knox talked with him for a moment before shaking his hand and going to where Yasmine could see him from the doors when she came out.
They hadn’t been able to spend the past weekend together because Mia had insisted that she wanted to take Yasmine somewhere. Knox hadn’t minded, never wanting to be selfish when it came to Mia and Yasmine spending time together. However, he spoke to his daughter Monday after she’d gotten out of school. When he asked her how her weekend with Mia was, Yasmine told him she’d spent the weekend with the babysitter because Mia had gone out with some friends.
Knox was pissed, but he’d kept it from his voice as he spoke on the phone with Yasmine. Unlike Mia, he didn’t like to show his irritation with her mother in front of her. So, he continued listening to her tell him what she’d learned at school that day, and all the things she did over the weekend with Molly, her babysitter.
When they’d hung up, Knox’s first thought had been to call Mia and give her a piece of his mind. However, he’d decided against it. Instead, typing the incident in a notes document he’d started on his laptop.
He was going through with the divorce because he realized unless he was willing to bend to her every whim, give her what she wanted, when she wanted it, and allow her to monopolize his time when she saw fit, and receive nothing in return, he and Mia were not getting back together. Knox was no longer willing to do any of those things.
Honestly, he wished he hadn’t to begin with. Hindsight was always twenty-twenty. But at the time, he thought he was showing Mia how much he cared for her. Giving was his love language, but in his relationship with Mia, it simply created an even bigger spoiled brat than she’d already been. Something he hadn’t noticed when he was on the road playing or at training camps but became clear when he was at home.
Knox had filled out a questionnaire last week when he’d found a firm he wanted to represent him, and it suggested that he note anything that could help his case. So, that was what he was going to do. He’d even made notes of past events, and he knew Mia’s own words would help him, considering he didn’t delete any of the messages she sent him.
He’d also received a call from the administrative assistant at Neel & Neel law firm, asking if he could come in next week. Knox had readily agreed to whatever time was available. He just wanted to get this started and over with. However, he knew Mia enough to know that it would not be that easy.
