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“I never lied to you,” I said calmly.
“Hell, you didn’t,” he said walking toward me, pointing his finger. “I bet you made up the whole damn story about not being able to have a baby just so you could leave me for him.”
“First of all, Jordan, you are the one who left me for something I couldn’t control,” I shouted. “Secondly, nothing between Jason and I started until after our divorce was final. It wasn’t planned nor held a secret. It was a surprise. How dare you march in here after abandoning me because of a medical condition?”
“You know there was more to it than that,” he said, dropping his hand. “You don’
t have to sit there and make me sound like a complete asshole.”
I stood looking at him, feeling my anger fade away, and guilt for calling him out start to rise in my chest. I dropped my hand and shook my head, letting out a deep sigh. I walked forward and looked up into his eyes. His expression softened and smiled slightly.
“You were right to divorce me,” I said quietly. “You know as well as I do that we were never meant to be together. I didn’t realize it until afterward, but you know in your heart it really wasn’t that hard to make the decision. You knew it before I did. I’m sorry for being an asshole, and I’m sorry you had to find out about Jason and I like this.”
“Yeah,” he said sighing. “I won’t lie that this kind of sucks. But you’re right, we were never meant to be. I think I saved both of us from quite a bit of hell.”
I looked at Jordan kindly and watched as he turned and walked toward the door. He stared at Jason for several minutes with an angry but calm look. Jason looked down at the floor, and Jordan shook his head, walking back out and slamming the door behind him. I stood staring at the closed door, hoping that I had done the right thing. Hoping that I hadn’t just become the enemy. Jason walked over and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and hugging me hard.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Not really how I wanted to break the news, but at least it's out there now. We can stop walking on eggshells.”
“Very true,” Jason replied. “You want to come over for Sunday family dinner and break the news to my parents?”
“Sounds good,” I said taking in a deep breath. “I mean, how bad could they possibly react?”
“Well, if my brother reacted like that, I’m pretty sure my parents are just going to be happy,” he said kissing me on the cheek. “Come on, let’s grab our stuff and get out of here. We can go to my place and relax on the terrace.”
“Sounds perfect.” I watched him walk over to start collecting his things.
I grabbed my dress, undergarments, and shoes and stuffed them in one of the plastic laundry bags folded on the counter. My purse was too small to fit them, and the last thing I wanted was to drop my underwear in the hotel lobby as I walked across. I had felt enough shock and embarrassment for the day, and I didn’t need anymore. I walked back out into the living room, and Jason pulled his phone out of his pocket and put it to his ear. He held one finger up to me and I smiled, meandering over to the breakfast cart and pulling fruit from the tray. As I snacked, I turned and watched Jason talking. He seemed to be excited, and whatever he was talking about, he kept referring to a “she” in the conversation. Either it had something to do with me or something to do with work. Either way, he had definitely sparked my attention.
“Okay, great. Thanks so much.” He hung up the phone and looked down at the blank screen.
“You okay?” I said around a mouthful of melons.
“Yes.” He smiled and turned toward me. “That was one of the best medical offices in the country. They have an entire sector dedicated to research and treatment of PCOS. They want to see you. They think they can help you. There is an appointment set for Monday morning, if you want to go.”
“Are you serious?” I walked over and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Oh, my God, that is so awesome. I can’t believe you went to all this trouble for me. Thank you.”
“It was no trouble,” he whispered into my neck. “I did a bunch of research on your condition, and I came across the facility. I couldn’t not call and talk to them. I didn’t have all your details, so they couldn’t tell me anything definitive over the phone, but with your age range and your health, they really want to see if they can help you.”
“Thank you so much,” I replied, tears welling up in my eyes. “No one has ever taken the time to do anything like this for me before. You are truly the sweetest man I have ever met.”
“I just want to know you’re taken care of,” he said pulling back and looking into my eyes. “I want to know, whether we’re together or not, that you’re safe and happy. I know this is something that can be really devastating to you mentally, and I want to do everything I can to help you.”
I pulled him back close into my arms and hugged him tightly. I never knew that I could feel so intensely for another human being, but I was blown away by how I felt for Jason. He not only took me into his arms at a time no other man would have dreamed of, but he reached out and did everything he could to help me with a condition I didn’t even realize yet weighed heavily on my mind. If these people could help me, I would be forever grateful to this man, a man I could no longer imagine not having in my life.
Chapter 19
Jason
Nervous didn’t even cover what I was feeling about revealing Tiffany to my parents. They knew I was bringing this mystery girl to dinner, but they had no idea that it was Tiffany. I had dressed in a polo and jeans to lighten the mood of the event and stood staring at myself in the mirror. Tiffany was everything I had ever wanted in a woman and more, and I wasn’t about to let her walk into a bad situation. I knew if my parents didn’t approve, they would at least be somewhat diplomatic about it since they really did love Tiffany. I hoped for the best but was completely prepared for the worst, something I wasn’t sure whether Tiffany had prepared herself for. She had been through so much heartbreak over the last several months that the last thing she needed was for the only family she ever really knew to turn their backs on her for good. The fact of the matter was, you couldn’t pick who you fell in love with, and I had loved Tiffany a lot longer than I really realized. She had infatuated me ever since I met her, but she had been with Jordan, so I put it out of my mind and went on with my life. When Jordan broke it off with her, I didn’t even understand it then. Instead, I was just furious and protective over her, wanting to fix her broken heart. It wasn’t until that first date at the restaurant that I realized there was more to my feelings than protection.
I took in a deep breath and reached down to grab my toothbrush. The house was quiet, and after spending almost the whole weekend in my place with Tiffany, I kind of hated the silence of it all. My house was comfortable but eclectic, just like you would imagine a SoHo loft to be. But with Tiffany standing barefoot in my kitchen and swimming in the heated pool on the roof, it made everything feel like home for the first time since I bought the place. The smell of dinner cooking on the stove, the sound of her laughter echoing through the halls was intoxicating, and I almost hated being here by myself now. I had taken her home early in the morning so she could get ready for dinner tonight. She seemed calm and collected, but I could tell there were quite a bit of nerves floating around in her chest. She had kissed me on the cheek and bounced off down the walk into her house. I couldn’t bring myself to drive away until I’d watch her blond hair flowing behind her as she headed down the walkway, smiled, and waved before closing the front door.
I tossed my toothbrush back in the holder and walked out, grabbing my jacket and checking the street for the car. As usual, it was sitting out front but this time, I would be taking a detour to the Greek District to pick up Tiffany before we went over to the house. I didn’t want to give the address beforehand because I didn’t want my parents to recognize who the address belonged to. We drove through the city, watching as tourists flocked the streets, and the city workers got ready to decorate the city for the holidays. It was my favorite time of year, and there was a bit of relief knowing I would get to spend them with Tiffany.
When we pulled up, Tiffany came out front, her hair pulled back halfway, wearing a pair of wide legged, flowy white pants and tucked in button up silk top. She walked carefully in her heels and pulled the hair out of her dangling diamond earrings. She looked at me and smiled as she climbed into the car, pulling her peacoat closed and kissing me on the cheek with her cherry stained lips. She looked amazing, like the woman I had seen so many times walking around the office with confidence and allure. I didn’t know if it were me or just the way time healed all wounds, but for the first time since everything started, she looked like her old self again. Her cheeks glowed in the evening light, and she had even painted her fingernails a light pink. She clutched a bottle of wine she had bought my parents and her clutch that I recognized from the party. She was absolutely stunning in a way I had never thought of a woman before.
