Between Commitment and Betrayal (Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #1)(94)

For once, he listened. For once, I was in charge. Maybe he gave me that knowing he was crushing my heart, breaking me before he left me. Or maybe he gave me that because he was letting me go. Either way, I knew I wouldn’t fall apart in front of him.

Or any of them.

I wouldn’t let them know they broke me more than I’d been broken before. I was as strong as I allowed myself to be. So, I promised myself I’d get it together in a day or two. I promised myself the emotion I was feeling was only because we’d made a commitment to one another to get through this stupid marriage together. I stared down at his ring on my finger and fisted my hand tight. I’d give myself another day of wearing that too before I took it off.

I fell asleep, tears streaming down my cheeks, broken from his commitment. And then from his betrayal.



THE NEXT MORNING, he texted about breakfast.

Declan: Come eat with me.



Me: No. Please leave me alone.





Declan: I’ll bring you coffee.



His car idled in front of the guesthouse, and I wondered if I could tell him I was sick. Instead, I texted him that Clara was coming to get me. She wasn’t, but that wasn’t the point.

I couldn’t be around him. He had to understand that.

Declan: I’ll wait until she gets here.



Looking up at the ceiling, I let out the exasperated sigh I had been holding in, tears springing to my eyes again. Couldn’t he just stop? Didn’t he get my heart was destroyed?

Declan: Would you like coffee before she comes?



No, I didn’t want coffee. I’d have to see his ridiculously beautiful face. And the sad thing was I wanted to. I wanted to crumble into him and beat on his chest and tell him he’d hurt me and then wait for him to grovel and make it up to me. Yet my heart was scared he wouldn’t, that I’d have to watch my stepsister have the life I dreamed of with him instead.

The babies. The family. The life with the man I loved.

And how was I supposed to leave that man when I still lived next to him, when he was still waiting on me, still driving me to work, still bringing me coffee?

Me: I made some myself.





Declan: Don’t lie. Come get it.



Me: Declan, it’ll hurt to see you, and I don’t think it’s a good idea.





Declan: It hurts me too, but I’ll be damned if I let that get in the way of having you in my life. We’re still friends, Everly. You still have me.



I’d never been his friend. Maybe Declan didn’t understand that about me. I’d never had any of them as friends.

Except Clara. So I did the only thing I could do in that moment that would stop all this. I texted her for a ride. And she immediately texted back.

Clara: Oh, I’m happy to hear from you. I was concerned after we didn’t see you the rest of the night. I can come now if you’d like. I’m going to the bakery early to get some new recipes going.



Me: Can you bring Anastasia over with you if she’s available? I’m convinced both her and Melinda have blocked my number, but Declan would like to talk to her.





Clara: Sure? Why would Anastasia need to come to talk to Declan? Why doesn’t he call her? Tell me what’s going on first.



Me: Just bring her.





Then, I took my time picking out yoga pants he hadn’t bought me and pulling them on. I pulled my hair back into a tight bun so I didn’t have to think about the way his fingers would thread through it. I put on clear lip gloss and ate some breakfast without him.

I stomped outside as Clara pulled up with Anastasia because we were going to end this charade right now. “I’m not driving with you to work.”

Declan’s green eyes narrowed on me like lasers focusing their power. “What are you doing?”

“Anastasia, Declan and I are divorcing. He’d love for you to drive with him to work so he can discuss further details with you.”

“Everly!” he growled as Anastasia squealed and skipped over to his car, but I was already turning around to walk away.





35




EVERLY





AFTER A WHOLE WEEK OF NICETIES, I was falling into a good enough routine that I only wanted to vomit once or twice a day when I saw them together. No one asked, but everyone caught on. With the news articles featuring photos of Anastasia in his car now and online outlets broadcasting videos of them walking into HEAT Health and Fitness together, it was pretty obvious what had happened. And yet, no article was printed about me ever.

I guess Declan was making sure of that.

I didn’t ask him though. I tried to avoid him completely instead. Yet every night that week, he’d still come to me to have his wrist rehabbed.

“Your wrist has nearly one hundred percent mobility back,” I murmured that specific night in the private studio we reserved for one-on-ones sometimes.

“I don’t think so,” he countered and winced when he bent it this time. It was fake. The man could have probably lifted me up with that wrist and felt no pain whatsoever.

“If you want to keep rehabbing it, you can, but I only have another week left working here, Declan.” I shrugged and did an arm stretch on the floor to release some of the tension I was starting to feel.