Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
“Naekkeo—”
“Don’t naekkeo me! I will not be the reason you lose everything just because your dad made you sign the worst prenup in the history of ever. Ten years? Ten years! To be stuck with someone you can’t stand even if they don’t cheat on you? There isn’t some kind of loophole? Something that says you can ask for a divorce without losing everything you’re worth?” All her questions come out in a rush as she paces my bedroom floor.
“Nothing. On purpose. Because she could’ve found the same loophole and taken me for half by law. My dad didn’t want me to lose anything, so it was an all or nothing deal. My lawyer has gone through it with a fine-tooth comb. There’s no other way out of it except to wait the ten years, at which time I could present all evidence I’ve collected in order to not have to give her half of everything I’ve earned during the marriage.”
She nods. “You need to take me back to the restaurant, Win. Now. If you’re collecting evidence, then how do you know she’s not doing the same damn thing, watching your every move in order to catch you doing something with another woman?”
I stand up, and when she turns back to face me in order to keep up her pacing, I catch her hands in mine and force her to look up at me. “In all this time, I never thought much about it. There was no other woman who caught my eye, so it didn’t matter. In the three years she and I have been separated, you are the first woman I’ve even wanted to spend time with. I didn’t think there’d ever been another person I’d want to get close to, after the hell Corina put me through the last seven years. I had given up hope of finding a partner in life, of finding someone to share my life with aside from my son. So the prenup and my situation wasn’t a big deal. And then you came along, and now everything’s changed.”
Her big doe eyes glisten with unshed tears, but she shakes her head. “I… I can’t deal with this right now. I need you to take me back to my car. Right now. I have way too much going on in my own life, with my own ex, to worry about yours taking everything from you. I want to go home.”
I refuse to force her to stay when she so clearly wants to go home, so I sigh once more, drop a kiss to her forehead, and then step back, letting go of one of her hands to pull her by the other through the bedroom door.
We don’t say another word as she grabs her purse from the kitchen, as I open my truck door for her, as I drive her back to the restaurant. I can’t think of a single thing to tell her to try to convince her I want to be with her, even in my fucked-up situation, that wouldn’t sound like a total douchebag thing to say.
But while it sucks this is the way the evening is ending, I’m grateful I manned the fuck up and told her the truth, because seeing her reaction, I can only imagine how hurt she would’ve been if I’d waited to tell her until after I’d made love to her. That would’ve been the kind of break in trust I never could’ve fixed. At least this way, I have hope I can convince her to be with me, even if we have to keep it secret for a while. I know she feels this connection between us, but is it as undeniable for her as it is for me.
Time will only tell.
13
Cece
I’ve been able to avoid Winston for most of my lunch shift today. It’s Sunday, so I’ve been busy serving up mimosas for the brunch crowd while the waitresses deliver everyone’s food, and I haven’t had to go to the kitchen to pick up any orders. I just don’t know what to say to him.
On the one hand, I feel bad that he’s stuck in this situation with absolutely no way out. He’s unable to find his own happiness and live his life, because of this prenup he signed seven years ago. But on the other, I cannot be the reason he loses everything. There is no way my conscience would let me live with that guilt.
And as if us talking about her conjured her into being, the woman herself walks through the door just as I’m about to clock out and go home to meet the girls when Mike brings them back from their sleepover at his place.
I didn’t know it was her at first, until Steph says, “Ah fuck. It’s been a while, but here we go. Hang on to your butt.”