Page 55 of Heartbroken Husband
“They love her,” I said without even really thinking about it. “She’s definitely become important to them.”
“Then she stays,” he replied like it was really just that simple to him.
It was almost like he’d forgotten that these kinds of things didn’t usually just happen. They always came with conditions.Always. Yet with him, it honestly just felt like he was doing it because he could. Not because of what might be in it for him.
It was a novel thought, for sure, but then again, this was Zach. I just had to get used to being around him again.
He cleared his throat, his expression suddenly a little more careful. I braced myself for the conditions, convinced I was about to be proven wrong about the fact that Zach sometimes just did stuff because he could.
“I’d also like to move you to a new house,” he said, completely bowling me over. “If you agree to it, I want to find you someplace better. With a yard for the kids. In a safer part of town, too.”
My stomach flipped, but he just kept going, rattling off that checklist like his freaking life depended on it now that he’d gained momentum. “It’s already in the contract that I’ll be covering private school tuition and any extracurriculars. Whatever they want to do, just enroll them and put down my details. I’m not sure what school you?—”
Finally, I held up a hand and cut him off. This was becoming ridiculous now. Really. “Zach, stop. Just stop.”
He did, but he was blinking rapidly, like I’d either stunned him or pulled him out of a trance. “What? Why?”
“You’re doing too much,” I said, my voice tight, but at least not cracking yet. “It’s all just way too much.”
“No, it’s not,” he said immediately. “I’m just doing what makes sense. This is all practical, right? It seems practical, and you came in today to talk about the practical stuff before we sign, so?—”
I let out a small, slightly hysterical laugh and shoved a hand into my hair. “You could be marrying someone younger, you know. Someone without all of this baggage and emotional damage.”
He frowned, clearly confused about something. “What?”
“It’s true and you know it. Alex could match you with someone who will be a lot easier,” I said, speaking right over him. “Someone without kids who aren’t yours and who you don’t have to be responsible for. Surely, that’s what you want.”
“Adeline.” Something in his tone made me stop, and when I looked at him again, his eyes were directly on mine, unfiltered tenderness breaking through all that careful control. “The only person I ever considered marrying was you and that’s still true.”
I forgot how to breathe. Straight up just forgot. That wasn’t business and definitely wasn’t something he’d say just because it looked good on paper.
He only seemed to realize what he’d said himself about half a second after it’d left his mouth, but it was out there now and I was determined not to make it awkward.
All along, I’d wished I knew where he really stood, and now, I supposed I did. It just wasn’t what I’d been expecting.
I hesitated for only one more beat before I nodded. “I’m going to sign.”
Watching him carefully as I said it, I searched his face for any hint of regret. Anything that suggested it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. But instead, some of the tension he’d been carrying in his shoulders eased and he even smiled a little.
“Okay,” he said softly, then swiped his tongue across his lips. “I, uh, do you think you’ll be able to take a week or two off work?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, but the words came out staggered and slow. “I just took time off when we were sick, so I’m really not sure.”
“Oh.”
“Well, I suppose I could just quit my job,” I said lightly, humor my last line of defense, but Zach nodded like that was a perfectly reasonable suggestion. Like he thought I was serious.
My eyebrows hiked up. “I was joking.”
He sighed. “I know, but realistically, there are better galleries out there and I know for a fact that my father would pay you a fortune just to catalog the art in the main house.”
I did a slow double-take. “You’re not helping.”
“I’m not trying to,” he countered.
Weird, surprised laughter bubbled out of me. “Fine, then. I’ll do it.”
Wait, what? What am I doing? What is even happening right now?
