Page 55 of Out of Bounds
Within a few minutes she has a steaming cup of coffee before me and a slice of banana bread which I devour first. I’m going to need sustenance to talk to her.
When she sits before me with her own cup of coffee, I drink a good amount of mine and set the cup down.
“I didn’t expect you to come so early, or at all,” she states. At least she’s honest. “You couldn’t have been travelling too far behind me.”
“I told you I’d come. I got a flight a few hours after you did.”
“But you were there for Denver. I know I ruined the weekend.”
“You didn’t.” The damn weekend was ruined before it even began, and I don’t even want to hear Denver’s name right now.
When I got back to the suite, there he was in the living room having sex with one of the strippers. I walked in on them. His wedding is this coming weekend and I’m already conjuring excuses to miss it. I’m not a saint, but I’m a cop. Maybe it feels like being witness to a crime and not saying anything, but I don’t know if I could watch him get married to a woman who deserves better and hold my silence.
Bryce was in my room completely knocked out. Thankfully no one was in there with him, and he didn’t wake up when I grabbed my stuff.
I had no desire to stay or be in Vegas any longer than I needed to be. God knows what the guys will get up to tonight.
“I’m sure there’ll be more excuses to go to Vegas in the future.” I nod and decide to get down to business. “I talked to my lawyer about us.”
That’s what I decided to do instead of running around Vegas trying to see what I could do to fix our disaster.
“Please tell me the lawyer wasn’t Bryce.” She sulks.
“No. The lawyer is definitely not Bryce.”
“Oh good.”
“Anyway, he said we could have the marriage annulled with a week from us signing the paperwork. He’s getting everything prepped and should have it over to me by Tuesday evening, so I’ll bring them around on Wednesday morning if that’s okay.”
“Yeah. That works.” Her forehead wrinkles as she brings her dainty, perfectly manicured fingers together. “What do we tell people until then Ethan, and after?”
“I don’t know. I’m still thinking. Maybe we could ride it out until then and come up with some excuse for the split.”
“So, we act married?”
“Act?”As if we have to act.
“You know what I mean.”
I sigh and set my elbows on the table. “Bree, I don’t know. Of course, it would have been easier if we said nothing but now that we have, I don’t know what the right thing is. Riding it out seems like the viable solution unless you want to deal with the craziness of the truth.”
“Maybe you’re right. It’s just a little over a week. I can ride it out until then.” She looks reluctant. “I’m not sure if I could deal with the craziness of the truth.”
Or the craziness of the alternate versions of us. That’s what it felt like. I feel like I got sucked into one of those tv shows were they show you what your life could have been like if you made a different choice or some little thing was different.
The thing I’m having a problem with is the alternate versions of us were enticing. She was and I liked myself that way. That guy I became suddenly had a dream. Even if it was for that night. The dream was her and do anything for her.
I need to leave before I go crazy. I don’t even think I’ve been here for five minutes and listen to me.
In the same breath, I really do want to find out what she remembers. Wanting to know is eating me alive.
We’re at natural pause in the conversation where the only things left to talk about are the night we spent together and that house she wants.
Straightening up I down the rest of the coffee and she straightens too.
I look her in the eye, and she instantly looks guilty and swallows hard. She looks away and reaches for the loaf.
“Do want some more? I don’t know what Shelby was thinking making me so much food.”
