Page 22 of Dream Chaser

The Mediterranean Sea sparkled with shades of turquoise outside my window. We were staying at Alejandro’s favorite hotel, just a short walk from La Barceloneta beach. He’d told me Asher’s friend owned the hotel chain.

After a tasty lunch at the hotel’s restaurant, I went back to my room to get ready for a sponsor event Alejandro and I would attend.

Just as I finished putting on the skirt and top Scarlett had lent me, my phone buzzed.

Preston.

My calm shattered, and my chest tightened. It wasn’t even seven a.m. in Millford. I could keep ignoring him, but eventually we needed to talk. Perching on the edge of the bed, I hit accept.

“Finally.” He exhaled. “I take it the tantrum is over.”

It was both sad and expected that he’d refuse to take my decision to leave seriously.

“There wasn’t any tantrum,” I said. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” His tone took on an angry edge I knew all too well. “For starters, I want my wife back where she belongs.” He sighed, as if dealing with me required a great deal of patience. “A marriage counselor Mom knows agreed to see us tomorrow.”

“Hold on.” I jumped to my feet, heart slamming against my ribs. “What counselor? Don’t you think you should’ve at least discussed it with me? We haven’t talked in over a week, and you—”

“We haven’t talked because you refused to answer my calls. I’ve been trying to save our marriage while you’ve been God knows where, so don’t even think about embarrassing me by not showing up.”

I walked to the window. The sea glimmered under the scorching sun. People strolled along the palm tree lined walkway. But one call had been enough to dim the excitement of being in such a breathtaking city.

“I can’t. I’m on a work trip in Spain.”

A pause. Then Preston cleared his throat. A bout of dry, disbelieving laughter followed, grating on my eardrums. “What?”

“I said I’m on a work trip, and I need to go in a minute.”

“A work trip? You don’t even know what work is. I’m the one who’s always worked and provided for you, and this is how you’re repaying me?”

Each word landed like a blow. It was like he hadn’t punished me with silent treatment every time I brought up wanting to look for a job.

I blinked through the haze of tears. He was right—I’d never worked outside the home, but I did countless other things he took for granted. Cooking. Ironing his shirts. Keeping the house tidy. Making leaflets and promo materials for his campaign while he joked that my useless degree wasn’t that useless after all.

It all ended now.

I hung up.

Pressing my forehead to the cool glass, I counted to five. Arguing with him always left me feeling hollow. Worn out.

As soon as I got paid, I’d see a divorce attorney, even if I had to sleep in my car for another month to pay for it.

A knock carried into the room. I straightened my clothes and opened the door, pasting on a polite smile.

Alejandro stood on the other side in a beige suit, the top buttons of his white shirt undone. He grinned, twirling his sunglasses. “Ready?” His smile waned as his green eyes slid over my face, concern flickering there. “If you need more time, I can wait.”

“No.” The word rushed out as my cell vibrated in my hand. I switched it off, my fingers shaking. “I’m ready.”

He watched me a second longer. “All right.” With a nod, he gestured for me to follow him to the elevator.

Once we made it to the car waiting for us downstairs, I slid into the backseat, followed by my boss.

“Where’s Asher and Kaia?” I asked as the driver pulled into traffic.

“They’ve already left for the event,” Alejandro said.

Outside the car’s window, the city drifted past me like photographs on a camera roll, each more breathtaking than the last. The Gothic Quarter with its old stone buildings came into view. We were heading to Port Olímpic, but I also wanted to see Gaudí’s architecture and La Sagrada Familia.