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“You’re my business.”
Keep walking.
“Stormy, I know about Christmas.”
My next step wobbles as my head jerks around and my heart starts to speed. “What?”
Ray’s eyes soften into that caring, gentle expression that used to make me feel like I could melt into his arms and everything would be okay. Now it feels like another betrayal.
“Christmas. You disappeared. Like—” He clears his throat and looks away. “Like last year.”
Not exactly like last year, considering I found my fiancé balls-deep in someone else’s mouth. That only happens once.
“And? No. Never mind.” I turn down the hall to my office. “Ray, we work together. And if you have something work-related you need to discuss with me, get on my calendar and we’ll do it.”
I sail into my office, thinking it was a perfect mic drop moment, but he just follows.
“Babe, I don’t think either one of us is okay— Oh, hey, Misty.”
My sister is sitting in my chair, feet up on my desk, a dark look in her eyes. Thankfully it’s not directed at me.
“Oh, hey. Ray.”
There was a time my little sister thought this guy hung the moon. She threw her arms around him every time he came over, begged rides off him for her and her friends. Listened to his every story with rapt attention. And sighed— literally sighed —when I’d tell her about our dates.
She helped him pick out my ring. She loved him.
But when he broke my heart, he broke hers too. She doesn’t know exactly what happened. I didn’t tell her the details, except to say more happened than what he’d admitted. And that was it for her.
He adjusts his stance and smiles at her. This time, I buy the ache in his eyes. Ray loved her every bit as much as she loved him. Maybe even more. She was the little sister he never had.
But no more.
“So, party tonight? Where are you girls going?”
“Out with our hockey boyfriends.”
Ourboyfriends?
Someone’s twisting the knife, not that Ray doesn’t deserve it.
He lets out a weird laugh, his eyes finding mine as I shove my sister’s feet off my desk. He stares a second and then shakes his head, clearly dismissing the possibility.
For an instant, it’s right there on the tip of my tongue.He’s not my boyfriend,Ray. He’s my husband. PS, I married him on our wedding day.
I hold back, though. A lot of good it would do to throw that out there and then suddenly be divorced a few months later. No thank you on looking like I’m not enough to keep yet another man loyal and committed. Besides, at last check, Liam wasn’t coming tonight. Because, yes, I asked.
So instead, I wait. Staring Ray down without a word until he finally takes the hint and wishes us a happy New Year.
In the car, Misty is stewing hard. “What a douche. I should have invited him tonight. Let him show up and watch as you pick which smoking-hot stud to take you home.”
Right.
When we skip the turn for our apartment, I balk. “Wait, I still have to get changed.”
“Yeah, about that. I saw the dress you picked out. It sucks.”
“Excuse me?”
