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“So, if I am here to get Miles back, what do we do?” Emily asked. “Cat fight until we fall over the bluffs in dramatic soap opera fashion?”
“I’ve always imagined, if I were in a cat fight, it would happen in water. Dramatic rise at the last possible moment from being held under by my rival, all that.”
“Not sure that’s as exciting as tumbling over a cliff.”
“A bluff is a small cliff, though.”
“Maybe we go over a bluff and into water?” Emily offered.
“Deal,” Ariel said, holding out her hand.
Emily took it in her own, squeezed gently, and shook.
“I’m not here to get Miles back,” Emily explained. “I’m here to give him divorce papers.”
Ariel felt her forehead wrinkle as she frowned slightly. “I’m confused. Your lawyers delivered revised papers to Miles not too long ago. You were asking for more money, right?”
There was a visible wince, and then Emily nodded. “I did, at first. I don’t even know what I was thinking. It was so hurtful, and I did it on purpose—I lashed out at Miles through those demands, as if I hadn’t hurt him enough by leaving him.” She stared back out at the garden. “The papers I brought here are absolving Miles of any extra payments to me in the divorce. We split with what we each have, regardless of what we brought into the marriage. I’m not asking for money he doesn’t have anymore. Money that was stolen from him shouldn’t be something that he has to pay me half of.”
Emily looked down, her face flaming in embarrassment. “I cannot believe I ever even asked for it. I guess I was angry that he had let that happen. He worked so much that I barely saw him, so how could he not have known that the entire thing was being grabbed out from under his nose?”
Ariel’s heart was thudding in her chest. She hadn’t known what to expect when she’d come to talk with Emily. Maybe another tussle, in line with the ones that Ariel had faced with Stanton and Trish. But the one thing she had found was the one thing she had least expected—to feel sympathy and empathy for the woman who had broken Miles’s heart.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Ariel sat there, processing Emily’s words. She hadn’t expected this kind of confession. Her anger and suspicion started to dissolve, and she began to see a new side to the woman now sitting quietly beside her—the hurt, lonely side. The one that felt regret and wanted to make amends.
And Ariel was certainly guilty of the same thing that Emily was talking about. Only, Ariel had pushed Katie away with her work commitments, resulting in the fight that had kept them apart for days.
With Miles, Emily had lashed out in a different way—a way that had so deeply scarred the love that Miles felt for her that there was practically no feeling left.
Practically,Ariel thought, because Miles himself had said that Emily had been hard to get over. And Ariel understood that, too. You just didn’t switch off loving someone, even if they hurt you deeply.
"I'm sorry," Emily said, looking down at her hands. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I just wanted to stay to be around you, to know who Miles is with now. Maybe I should have left after I found out you two were together."
Ariel took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She could feel the tension in the air slowly dissipating. "Why?" she asked, her voice softer than before. “Why did you want to get to know me?”
Emily looked up, her eyes shining with tears. "Because I loved him, Ariel. And when I left him, I felt like a part of me was missing. I didn't know how to move on. I convinced myself that if I kept making trouble for him, he would at least feel something for me—maybe he would come back and fight about the demand papers. At least that would show he still felt something for me."
Ariel nodded, her heart aching for Emily. She knew what it was like to be heartbroken, to feel lost and alone. "I understand," she said, placing a hand on Emily's arm. "It’s hard to let go. I promise you, he’s happy. And that has nothing to do with me—it’s just who he is. He’s strong and resilient and content in himself. I care for Miles, but what we have doesn’t define him. We just do our best to make one another’s lives a little better."
Emily nodded, wiping away her tears. "I know," she said, giving Ariel a small smile. "I could see how much he loved you. And I could see how good you were for him. But even before that, before I knew he had someone new, I drafted those papers. I came here to let him go. I’m just glad he has someone who he deserves."
Ariel returned the smile, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. Maybe things could go back to normal now. Perhaps she could finally let go of her suspicions and trust that Emily was telling the truth.
"Thank you," Ariel said, giving Emily a hug. "I appreciate your honesty."
"I hurt Miles so terribly when I left him," Emily admitted. "I knew I didn't love him the way he deserved to be loved, and I didn't want to string him along. But it was still hard to let go. And I'm so glad he found you, Ariel. You're exactly what he needs."
Ariel felt a lump form in her throat as Emily spoke. She had always been so worried about living up to Miles's expectations, but hearing Emily's approval meant the world to her. Ariel knew that she loved Miles deeply, but it was reassuring to know that someone who had been so close to him also believed in their relationship.
Emily hugged her back, her body shaking with sobs. "I just want him to be happy," she whispered.
Ariel pulled away, giving Emily a reassuring smile. "He is," she said. "And you can be, too. Emily, you are wonderful. And just because Miles and you weren’t right for one another, that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there who is perfect for you."
As the other woman wiped at her tears, Ariel went on. “Look at this garden,” she said to Emily. “You saw that it was neglected, that it needed tending to. It was struggling to grow, and it just needed help. It needed to be cultivated and fed, watered and put into an order that made sense. There was so much growth and life under all that garbage, and all it took was for someone to care enough to come and discover that.”
“That’s true,” Emily said, her eyes clearing.
