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She sighed, dropped her hands to her sides, and walked over to him. She sat on the edge of the bed, and for the next several seconds they just sat there. “I really am sorry it didn’t work out, but this has just been too hard, Reese.”
“That’s because you didn’t try, Brittany.”
“Reese, you want things I don’t. And let’s be honest, we got married far too quickly.”
He’d thought he’d loved her, even after six months of dating. And when she’d said “yes,” he thought his life would finally be good, normal even. But this shit was too stressful, too consuming. She didn’t want him anymore, and if he was being honest he was just too tired of this situation to want her anymore either.
He didn’t deserve to be alone, and at thirty-five he wasn’t getting any younger. He wanted this life to be memorable. He wanted a family, and he knew that trying to work this out was a lost cause. They didn’t love each other, and staying together, or trying to stay together, was only for convenience.
“I think it’s safe to say that we’re done here,” she said, and he only nodded.
Yeah, he’d known that for a while, but like a fucking chump he’d tried to go longer.
She stood, walked over to her suitcase, and finished packing. He didn’t stay to watch, knowing that the week she was spending at her sister’s in Texas would probably be permanent, but he was okay with that.
“Oh, and Reese?” she called out.
He braced his hand on the door and turned and looked at her over his shoulder. He felt his annoyance with her indifferent attitude with her uncaring demeanor.
“I’ve already spoken to my lawyer, so you’ll be getting the papers in the mail about the divorce.”
He clenched his jaw. “Saves me time and hassle.”
She flared her nostrils and widened her eyes after he spoke. Of course she’d have all this planned out, probably even had something in the divorce paperwork about alimony. But fuck that, because if she was smart she’d remember they’d signed that pre-nup.
At least he’d been smart about that. But knowing her, she’d try to get money from him regardless. That she’d look for a loophole pissed him off, even if right now it was just a hypothetical situation.
No, not hypothetical. She’s a bitch when it comes to money, and you know she thinks your money is hers as well.
She didn’t want to make this work, never had if he was being honest. He’d be dammed if he gave her anything of his. She didn’t want him, and that included his money.
Reese sat on the back porch, the pool lit up, and the night already fallen. He’d just finished dinner with Ginny and her family, and although telling them that things were over with Brittany hadn’t really been such a hardship, seeing the look of sympathy on his sister’s face made this all the worse.
Of course she’d never told him she didn’t like Brittany, or that he shouldn’t have married her, but he knew his sister well enough to know from her body language that she’d felt that way.
“You okay?” Ginny said through the open patio doors. He turned in his seat and stared at her. She brought out two more beers, handed them over, and sat on the seat next to him, staring at the water.
“Surprisingly I feel good, better than I have in far too long.” And that was the truth. He had been fighting so long to keep Brittany, to try to make it better, that finally just giving up and accepting that they were going nowhere made him feel free, unchained even.
“I’m really sorry about things going down with Brittany,” she said.
He nodded, looked down at the bottle he held, and knew that things happened for a reason. “Thank you, but I know it’s for the best. Being with her wouldn’t have gone anywhere.” He tipped his beer back and drank a long pull from the bottle.
She didn’t respond, but he welcomed the silence. He didn’t want to talk about Brittany. He’d spent too much time worrying about her, trying to make things work, that talking about it now, when things were over, seemed redundant.
“I’m here for you, Reese, you know that.”
He looked at his younger sister. She’d always been more on the self-absorbed side, more conceited when they were growing up. Of course she hadn’t drastically changed, but deep down she was a good person, and right now proved that. He could see the sincerity in her expression and knew she was genuine at heart.
“I know,” he said and smiled. She reached out and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him in for a hug, and he just absorbed her compassion. They’d never been extremely close, but right now it felt like nothing separated their sibling bond. She pulled away and smiled, and he saw the pain in her face.
