“Beck and I got married in Vegas over the summer, and now we live together, and he won’t get a divorce because he thinks we need to find out why we made a rash decision like that, and I won’t get one because everyone in my life thinks I can’t commit. So in order to get divorced, I need him to initiate it, and he hasn’t yet. I’ve been doing everything in my power to annoy and bother and irritate him, but it’s not working. Now almost anytime I come home, he’s just casually hanging out in the house in nothing but his boxer briefs.”
I close my eyes, and the image of him stalking toward me is burned into my mind. I let out a frustrated growl. “He always has fresh flowers on the table for me, and I love flowers. I didn’t know it till now, but I do. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“Damn,” Greer says. “That is a tough problem. A hot half-naked man to come home to and he’s good to you. What a shame.”
“Cut the sarcasm, please. I had no idea that the little things would matter. He pays attention. This is new for me.”
“You have a man at home who clearly wants you.”
“No.” I shake my index finger in the air. “He’s up to something.”
“Like you were up to something?” Willa asks, turning her computer to Nora, who is staring at me, eyes wide.
“You married Beck, and no one knows?” A smile touches her lips. “This is amazing. Three of them are married off. Well, basically.” She smiles at Willa. “We all know Zane isn’t going to wait much longer. This is just so cool! Think of all the parties we will have together and when we all have kids and—”
“Hello? Did you hear me? I’m trying to get Beck to end this marriage.”
“Are you sure? Kind of sounds like you’re into your husband.”
“Or,” I don’t know exactly where I’m headed with this sentence, “he’s up to something.”
“Maybe he knows,” Greer chimes in. She’s washing the front window to change out the signs. “Maybe he’s trying to get you to crack by getting to you the way you got to him.”
“I didn’t walk around naked, but you could be onto something.”
“Call his bluff!”
“Yes!”
“Ha. I don’t think you three are listening to me.”
“We are,” Greer laughs.
“Um, alright. Well, if that were true, then you’d know there is no way I could do that. I’m just going to say it right now so we’re all on the same page: if that man tries to get me in bed, I’m pretty sure I’d let him take me. There is so much tension between us. My problem now is that not only do I need him to divorce me, but I also need to not want him. I need to not like that he cleans the kitchen every night or that he folds towels better than me or that—”
I need to not like anything about him. A girl with my condition is not the girl for Beck Robertson.
“Holy shit, you really,reallylike your husband,” Greer squeals.
“I know!”
I cover my face with my hands and take a deep breath.
I am so absolutely screwed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
BECK
Today, I woke up with a plan. I took what Calla and I shared last night as a sign to put more effort in. To make my move. Show her how good we can be together.
Flowers are my go-to right now, and that’s only because whenever I have a new bunch in the kitchen, Calla’s face lights up. She tries to hide it, but I’ve seen. So yeah, more flowers it is.
To say I was shocked when the florist called me to say she couldn’t deliver the flowers because that company doesn’t exist anymore is an understatement.
If her place of employment is closed, where the hell does she go every day?
I’ll tell you where. To Willa’s studio. I just happened to see her in the front window when I was taking some signed books to the post office.
