CHAPTER 1
The room was spinning.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, all things considered. But itwassomething that was happening to me.
In this dive bar.
Just a few blocks from our — sorry,his— apartment. Nothing was mine anymore.
My clothes.
My car.
My cat.
He’d gotten the apartment, our boat, that stupid fucking rental property I begged him not to buy.
Stupid fucking prenup.
I packed my entire life — sans cat — into my Corolla.
I hated that fucking car.
I shook my empty glass at the bartender with a scowl. “Another, barkeep.” I managed it without barfing.
An incredible feat, really.
I was loud. I was abrasive. Even sober,I wasa lot.
He knew that, though. I’vealwaysbeen a lot.
And now it was seven pm, and I was drunk.
Alone.
And drunk.
Crying wouldn’t help, not anymore. I had done enough of that when Joel told me he wanted a divorce.
I’d like to say it was totally out of the blue… but I knew it was coming. He was short with me. I was annoying — he madedamnsure that he reminded me of that every chance he got. It was an even give and take.
I gave him headaches, and he took my joy. Hell, it could have even been an amicable split, one that might have been a fresh start for me — if it weren’t for the fucking prenup.
I should count myself lucky that he didn’t try to claim my cat, Lance.
No, he’s not named after the singer.
Yes, he’s named after the Arthurian knight.
Lance was waiting at my dad’s place. Thirty-three years old and I’m moving back in with my dad.
I worked at a bookstore, for god’s sake. He made all the money, never asked me to do anything more, to make anything more. I liked my little job at the tourist trap store I worked at.
I couldn’t survive on that money, though.
Pulling me out of my spiral, someone sat down next to me. I turned, brow furrowed at the new arrival.
It wasseven pm.
