“He’s not.”
“How do you know?”
“He wouldn’t bother.”
“Are you still in love with him?”
“No,” she said, surprised by the question.It didn’t seem like something he would ask.When she glanced at him, she saw genuine curiosity.Her prickliness dissipated as she sipped from her bottle.“My feelings changed after Emily was born.”
“What do you mean?”
“For most couples, having a child brings you closer together.I mean, that’s what I imagine happens.For us, it was the opposite.It was like a chasm opened up.I was so enthralled with her, and Bennett… wasn’t.He was too busy swindling people to pay attention to her.I couldn’t understand his lack of interest.”
“He was self-absorbed?”
“Self-absorbed, constantly scheming, and drowning in debt.”
He gave her an assessing look.“Did he file for divorce?”
“No.I did.”
“Is he still in love with you?”
“Hardly.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because he slept with my best friend.”
Paul didn’t appear convinced by this evidence.
She frowned and drank more beer.“My father said he was still in love with my mother while he was cheating on her.Can you believe that?”
“Yes.”
“How?”she asked, glaring at him.“How can you betray someone you claim to love?”
“My brother did it pretty convincingly.”
“What about you?”
“Me?”
“Have you ever cheated on a woman you were in love with?”
“No.”
She searched his face for evidence of deception.He stared back at her, unfazed.If he was lying, she couldn’t tell, but she didn’t trust her own instincts.She’d been wrong too many times.“I’m the one who caught him, by the way.”
Paul’s eyes sharpened.“Your husband or your father?”
“Both.”
He winced at the admission.
“I was thirteen when I walked in on my father.I was supposed to go to a friend’s house after school, but I got my first period, so I went home instead.I was already feeling emotional and embarrassed.”
Paul leaned forward with interest.
