And just like that, just the mention of her in our bed and I get hard. Thankfully, I’m wearing my lab coat, but by the look she’s giving me, I’m not hiding anything.
I open my office door and gesture for her to go in. I set the bag on the coffee table and then pat the seat next to me for her to sit down. “Thanks for getting the food.”
She sits down. “Yeah, well, I know you work through lunch a lot, but if we’re going to talk, I thought we could eat too.”
I pause as I’m unloading the bag, a sense of dread coming over me. “What do you want to talk about?”
She takes the bag from me and finishes removing the Styrofoam containers. “Us.”
She has a smile on her face as she opens the containers. She holds one up to me. “I got your favorite. Smoky Mountain chicken sandwich. I had them substitute the cheddar cheese for mozzarella.”
I take the sandwich she’s holding out to me. “What about us?”
She shrugs her shoulders and points at the last container. “I also got a piece of the Blaze cinnamon cake from the diner. I thought we could share it.”
I nod and ask impatiently, “Sounds great. What about us do you want to talk about?”
She’s avoiding my gaze, staring down at her sandwich, and my stomach drops. I set my sandwich down. “Aria, are you here to give me divorce papers?”
Her eyes flick to mine so fast and I can see the pain in their depths. “What? You want a divorce?”
I set the sandwich down and turn to look at her. “I just figured that’s the next move, and if that’s what you’re doing, I don’t think I’m going to want to eat right now.”
Something flickers in her eyes, but her voice remains calm. “Is that what you want, Penn? You want me to divorce you?”
I suck in a breath because just hearing her say the words makes me sick to my stomach. “No, it’s the last thing I want, but I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I mean, like I said, I would understand, and maybe it’s for the best.”
She closes up her sandwich and sets it back in the bag. She’s really calm about it, and when she looks at me, guilt rises in my chest because her eyes are filled with pain. “Tell me something, Penn. Do you love me?”
I grit my teeth. “You know I love you.”
She nods. “Right. So why are you doing this?”
I jut my chin at her. “Because you deserve more than I can give you.”
“Bullshit,” she exclaims.
I rear back in surprise. Aria never cusses, so for her to do so, I know she’s mad.
She stands up. “Guess what, Penn?”
I stare up at her. “What?”
She puts a hand on her hip. “I love you too, and I’m not just going to give up on us.” She picks up the bag with her sandwich in it. “I’ve moved back home, and I think you should do the same. We can’t work this out if we’re not living together.”
“But…” I start. She doesn’t let me finish.
“Also, I have my boss’s birthday dinner on Friday night, and I don’t want to go alone. Will you go with me?”
My mouth drops. I thought for sure my wife was going to be talking to me about getting a divorce, and here she is asking me on a date. What is even happening right now? When I don’t answer right away, she continues. “I know you work Friday during the day and there’s a chance you won’t be able to make it for dinner, but I’d appreciate it if you’d try.”
Fuck. I’ve let her down so many times, but she’s still giving me chances to make things right. “I’ll be there. I’ll pick you up at the house. What time?”
“The dinner starts at six.”
“I’ll be there to pick you up at 5:45.”
She nods, and I gesture to the spot next to me. “Are you going to sit back down?”
