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“Thank you, Mari, for continuing to rub it in.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re welcome.” She laughs before sobering. “The guy hasn’t published anything about Devin yet, has he?”
While I didn’t divulge details of Devin’s past, the girls know something incredibly personal that shouldn’t be blasted to the world could leak. “Not that I’ve been able to find, and I’ve exercised some intense sleuthing skills.”
More Finnish muttering fills the line, and Mili hushes her sister, asking, “Have you tried contacting this reporter?”
“No, because I didn’t want to make things worse by confirming any details. I trust that Devin’s in touch with TSG. They’ll work with PR to handle whatever happens. At least Leo confirmed what he could for me. He also told me that the spot I ate lunch and was overheard is a location reporters loiter around because TSG agents love to eat there. It’s so close to the office. They hover like vultures for inside scoops. I should’ve known.” My fingers stroke the abandoned pillowcase. A tear seeps from the corner of my eye, trailing across the bridge of my nose and wetting the cotton beneath my head. “You should’ve seen his face. He was gutted. We’ve experienced quite a bit of heartbreak over the years, but nothing compared to the look in his eyes when he walked away from me. Like he was memorizing my face for the last time. I’ll never recover if he doesn’t forgive me.”
“Well, you know what you have to do now, don’t you?”
“What?”
“Find him. Go to his hotel room and make it right.”
“Or trust him and give him time,” Mili counters. The calm sister against the rash one.
I groan, unsure who I want to be: Mili or Mari. “He doesn’t want to talk. I’ve tried calling and texting him so many times over the last forty-eight hours. If he wanted to be found, I’d find him.”
“Duh,” Mari says. “You still have our brother. Call Leonardo, get him to talk to Devin’s agent and find out where he’s holed up. And make him listen to you. He said his piece, and now it’s time to say yours. You fight for him, Novie. Don’t let him slip away again.”
Rash it is.
* * *
A cloud of déjà vu settles around me as I raise my fist to knock on Devin’s hotel room. Same building, different room. I couldn’t spend another night alone in my condo. So it’s ten o’clock Sunday night, and late-riser that he is in the off-season, I pray he’s still awake.
With a couple loudclicksof the lock and handle, the door opens with a shirtless Devin on the other side. The soft, warm glow of a table lamp shadows the contours of his muscles, his gray sweatpants riding low on his hips.
“Hey,” he says like he isn’t surprised to see me, and my eyes hone in on his defined V. That blessed V.
Focus, Nova.“You did a lot of talking the other night and now it’s my turn.”
Devin’s mouth clasps shut as he offers an appeasing nod, stepping aside and letting me in.
“I know I screwed up, but you don’t get to run out on me when things are hard. And then leave me without any communication.” I storm past the kitchenette and into the lounging area.
“I’m guessing Leo helped you find me.” The door clicks shut behind, and he turns the double bolt.
I spin at the end of the couch. “Yes, and I shouldn’t have to go through my cousin. Or your sister to know if you’re alive.”
His hands raise with a shrug. “I wasn’t hiding. And I knew if you wanted to find me, you could. You’ve done it before. I just needed some time to sort everything out, and I couldn’t do that around you.”
“So you said. I know. And you have every right to be angry with me. I screwed up, I really did, and I’m so freaking sorry.” My sincerity melts into fire as I fling my arm around the room. “But as a husband, is this what your solution will be? Leave me at home with the kids while you go have some me time and rethink our marriage?”
“Nova, I wasn’t rethinking us.” An unexpected light chuckle trickles from his lips, and I want to smack the smile that follows.How can he be so calm?“We’ve spent every spare moment together since Alaska, and I wanted to give you time to be sure of us. Not that I’d have let you get rid of me, if that’s what you decided.”
Hand on my popped hip, my lips purse. “Is that right?”
“Yes, because I know that’s not what you really want, and I know that’s not what our future holds.”
My chest heaves as I swallow the rising lump in my throat, the indignation evaporating. “And you’re so sure of this.”
“I am.” Devin eats up the distance between us, gathering me in his arms. “You want to know what I see?”
I nod and wait.
“You in a white dress, stealing my breath as your dad walks you down the aisle, with me at the altar. I see your round belly as you cheer me on from the stands. And I see our little family in a quiet backyard, me playing catch with one of our kids while you teach another how to draw on one of your sketch pads. But most importantly, I see us gray-haired and fulfilled, looking back on the incredible life we built. Because it will be a long and happy life together.”
