Back to Life Series Box Set

by Danielle Allen

  Silently, I nodded. I couldn’t have agreed more.

  “We all deserve to be happy. Sahara, Manny, that brilliant and sexy woman on her way over here does.” He smirked in Addison’s direction before he looked back at me. “And you do too.”

  “Thank you. I agree.”

  He smiled. “So what have you been doing since the big break up? And what happened, if you don’t mind me asking. I have a good one and Anthony had a good one. So whatever he did that allowed you to get away, I need to not ever do that.”

  “You know, the usual bullshit.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Lying to me, cheating on me, drugging me. Basic stuff.”

  Tyree’s eyes got huge as he turned all the way around to face me. “Anthony?”

  “Yep.”

  “Anthony Diaz who Sahara said proposed to you in the middle of your opening night of your dance studio?”

  “Yes. The same one.”

  “Couldn’t he lose his license for drugging you?”

  “Yeah, that’s why he should stop being an ass to me so we can just get the divorce over and done with. Because honestly, I don’t want to go there.” I paused. “But I will if I’m pushed.”

  “Damn!” Tyree chuckled. “That’s on him, though. He should’ve thought that through before screwing you over.”

  “Agreed!” I followed his line of sight and when I saw Addison approaching, I smiled. The genuine love and affection they had for one another was so apparent. “I feel like you two have hearts for eyes,” I pointed out once she was close enough to hear me.

  “That’s what I was saying about you,” Addison countered as she stood, looking at us with a hopeful expression.

  I rolled my eyes. “Bullshit.”

  “You even sound like him.”

  I rolled my eyes again. Changing the subject before Tyree started asking questions regarding who I had heart eyes for, I asked, “Where’s Natasha? I’m excited to meet her.”

  Addison scrunched her face in a tortured mix of pain and confusion. “She’s coming.” She sighed. “I was too late. Bennett already had his hooks in her.”

  “Did you tell her that he’s a complete ass?” I questioned.

  “Did you tell her that Bennett is probably not going to call?” Tyree inquired.

  “Yeah and she said, and I quote, ‘assholes fuck like they have something to prove the first time around’ and ‘she doesn’t like his personality so she would prefer if he didn’t call.’” She made a face and shrugged. Lifting a glass, she said, “To Natasha.”

  I lifted my hand with a pretend glass and said, “To Natasha.”

  Tyree snickered. “You two are funny.”

  Addison looked between us and grinned. “And it looks like you two have become fast friends.”

  I looked at Tyree and smiled. “We’re good.”

  “Good! That worried me all summer. I would get knots in my stomach thinking about you two finally meeting. And I’m also a little worried about you telling Sahara.” She made a sad frown. “She isn’t going to be weird about this is she? I know she’s like your sister and I wouldn’t want her to poison you against me.”

  I shook my head. “Sahara’s not like that at all. I know the whole thing between my brother and Tyree was messy, but truly, all she’s ever wanted was for the two of them to be happy. She’s going to be thrilled that Ty found someone as amazing as you. I can wholeheartedly say that I see how happy you make him so she’ll be excited. Besides, she’s happily married and has a handful of kids. She’s not worried about breaking the two of you up” I gestured between the two of them and then I added, “Or breaking the two of us up, for that matter. It’s all good.”

  Chapter 17

  Friday, September 1st – 3:48pm

  “Well, obviously you can’t be friends with her anymore,” Sahara replied after I finally got in touch with her during a rare free moment to tell her about Tyree and Addison.

  I burst out laughing instantly and she joined in. Our chuckles only egged the other on as we laughed harder as the moments passed. I had tears streaming down my face and I pressed my hand against my abs as they painfully screamed from each chuckle. I almost dropped my cell phone twice as my body shook with each violent outburst of giggles. I was gasping for air and contorted into an odd angle by the time the amusement left us both.

  “I needed that laugh,” Sahara sighed from the other end of the line. “I haven’t laughed like that in forever. Someone is always sleeping here so it’s quiet time. It’s nice to have the house to myself.”

  “You deserve a day to yourself. Even if it’s just a few hours, you deserve it.”

  “And you deserved to take that trip by yourself. Even if it was just for a week, exploring all those new places on your own is pretty bad ass. You are a bad ass.”

  “I wish I would’ve had enough time to squeeze in a trip to see you and my babies.” I pouted. “I miss you guys.”

  “We miss you, too. I miss our talks with lots of chocolate cake—“

  “And wine!” I added quickly.

  “Well of course, the wine.” She bemoaned dramatically. “I didn’t think to mention it since I’m breastfeeding.”

  “Word on the street is that it burns a lot of calories.”

  “I have three kids under two years old. I would rather drink wine than burn calories.”

  I chuckled. “I believe that.”

  “So tell me about your trip.”

  “It was amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

  As I got out of the car, I started detailing my trip to my best friend.

  I’d wanted to go see the New York City Ballet so I planned a trip on the first free weekend. Monique wanted to go but she’d broken her ankle two weeks prior when we went to Tallahassee, Florida for an introduction to roller derby class. We’d spent four hours skating and laughing. It was hardcore, but we survived. And then in a freak accident, she tripped in the locker room and broke her ankle in the shower.

  So I adventured to New York on my own for two days, taking in shows on Broadway and a couple of museums before flying west and visiting Chicago, Illinois. I ate deep-dish pizza, visited landmarks, and just enjoyed doing everything I wanted to do. From Chicago, I went to Toronto, Canada and immersed myself in the city. I flew back home and called Sahara on the drive in.

  “Yeah, that really does sound amazing,” Sahara enthused, sounding almost wistful. “I’m so proud of you.”

  I grabbed all of the mail from the mailbox and carried it with me into the apartment. “For taking a solo trip?”

  “Yeah… But not just for that. I’m proud of you for walking away from Anthony. I know it was hard. I know it wasn’t what you planned. I know a divorce wasn’t something you wanted; it’s not something any of us go into marriage wanting. But for you to be backed into a corner and to make the hard choice even though it’s the right choice is something you should be proud of. Not many people would’ve done that.” She paused. “I know about four women and one man at work who know their spouses are being unfaithful and they still choose to stay. Some stay for the kids, some stay just because they’re scared; but, either way, know that you are in an elite class.”

  My heart swelled as I sat down on the couch. “Thank you. I appreciate that. It was difficult at first, but now, not so much. I knew I was making the best decision for me by walking away. But just the way he’s treated me since we separated has confirmed that I made the best decision for my life.”

  “He’s going to get what’s coming to him. Instead of him worrying about his coworkers finding out what kind of man he truly is, he should’ve been worried about not making a bad situation worse. And now look… his whoring has caught up to him.”

  I thumbed through the mail that had collected over the week I was gone. “I almost feel bad for him.”

  “I don’t.”

  I laughed. “I said ‘almost.’”

  “He was always so worried about money and he ended up getting the ultimate gold digger pregnant and moving
her into your house. Your house! He was so worried about his image and no one at work finding out he was running through the entire nursing staff that he became a monster. I’m still so pissed he destroyed the chair Grandma Mills gave you. That was low.”

  “He became mean and he still denies everything he did. He denies everything. The first two offers for settling were disrespectful and then a few months after I move out, he moves his pregnant girlfriend in? I mean seriously? We were married and not only did he do all of that fucked up shit during the marriage, he moved on like it was nothing and he thinks that’s normal.”

  I could almost hear her shaking her head. “That’s not normal. Anthony is a wreck. He deserves everything he gets.”

  “Karma is a bitch.” I dropped everything except the letter in my hand with no return address.

  “It’s okay to not be okay,” Sahara reminded me.

  “I know.” I looked at the square shaped envelope suspiciously. “And honestly, I’m over that relationship. If anything, I’m mourning the man I married. Where did that guy go? The thing that I don’t understand is how you can claim to love someone and treat them cruelly.”

  “It’s not about you, Em. You know that.”

  “I know.”

  “Not many people both know their worth and demand their price to be paid. Some people know their worth and still give discounts. Other people don’t know their worth so they sell themselves short. But you, you know your worth. You will find someone who sees how valuable you are and has no problem acknowledging what you’re worth. The problem was that Anthony was trying to use coupons and discount codes for your pricelessness.”

  “I love that,” I giggled, ripping open the envelope. “It’s so true.”

  “Everything happens for a reason.”

  “Absolutely. And if it had to happen, I’m glad it happened the way that it did because it gave me the opportunity to see who he really is. I am thankful that I didn’t get pregnant. I think—are you shitting me right now?”

  My eyes glossed over the embossed print of the baby shower invitation.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “I just got an invitation to Anthony’s baby shower. That asshole sent me an invitation to his fucking baby shower. We haven’t talked in months. We are not friends. This was not a peace offering. This was intentionally mean.”

  “That seems over-the-top—like he’s trying to rub it in your face that he’s moved on. And that’s a clear sign that he hasn’t. Because if he did, he wouldn’t be so intent on hurting you and dragging it out.”

  I stood up and threw the invitation in the garbage can. “Yeah, that’s what it seems like.” I sighed. “In other news, Addy told me that she went on a double date with CJ and his girlfriend.”

  “Ugh,” Sahara groaned loudly. “That’s still a thing?”

  I laughed. “That’s what I said! I swear to God, that’s the exact same thing I said!”

  “I’m not wishing anything bad on anyone else’s relationship. After all of the drama surrounding my dating life, I’m so glad to be settled down with the man of my dreams—”

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” I muttered jokingly.

  “—the moon to my stars.”

  “Yep, that’s definitely vomit.”

  She giggled. “But seriously, I’m not wishing for the downfall of that relationship. I’m just ready for him to realize you two would be great together.”

  I grinned, feeling my cheeks heat up. “You have to meet him before you can say stuff like that or it makes both of us sound crazy.”

  “Well, every time you see him—”

  “All four times,” I interjected over her sentence.

  “All four times you’ve seen him, it’s been intense. You’ve told him all of your secrets and he’s told you his. And there’s a reason you still have a crush on him nine months later.”

  “That’s true. Except… I haven’t told him all of my secrets.”

  “You told him about your divorce, the accident, your legs, not being able to get pregnant, and that you can’t sing…like at all.”

  I burst out laughing.

  “What else is there, Em?”

  “Well… I never told him I liked him.”

  “What? You’re kidding? Please tell me you’re kidding.”

  “By the time I realized it wasn’t just a rebound thing and it was an actual crush, he’d moved on. I guess those rejected calls and ignored text messages don’t make me as alluring as I’d hoped.” I smiled sadly to myself. “It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s with Cameron and they’re happy. And I’m happy for him.” I paused. “As long as they don’t get too serious.”

  We chuckled in agreement.

  Chapter 18

  Tuesday, October 17th – 3:11pm

  “Good afternoon Emily,” Mr. McMannus greeted me when I answered my office phone.

  “Hey, Mr. Mac! How are you?”

  “Very well. And you?”

  I sat back in my desk chair and stared at the flowers on my desk from a great first date I’d gone on the night before. “I’m not bad.” I smiled contently. “Oh and thank you for coming to my Fall Showcase. It was so nice to see you and Mrs. Mac. And your granddaughter has gotten so big. Is she really ten?”

  “Yes, she is. The other three are seven, six, and four. Seems like just yesterday I was zipping up and down I-95 to see them in Richmond and Philadelphia.”

  “Faith and Grace are the oldest two right? They’re from Richmond?”

  “Yes. And Grace wasn’t feeling well which is why she didn’t come to the showcase, but Emily, we enjoyed ourselves so much. As I’m sure your parents have told you, Faith and Grace will be staying with us for the rest of the year since our daughter got an assignment in Germany. Neither of them wants to do basketball this year. Grace doesn’t know what she wants to do, but after the showcase, Faith knows she wants to take dance now.”

  I giggled. “That’s awesome!” I paused. “Hopefully you’re telling me this because she wants to take dance with Studio E.”

  Mr. McMannus let out a jolly belly laugh that old men seemed to learn as a rite of passage after age fifty. It made me smile and I jotted down a reminder to call my dad.

  “Yes, yes, of course, Emily. She wouldn’t think of letting anyone else but you teach her dance.”

  “Well bring her to me so I can teach her the art of dance.” I pulled one of the roses from the glass vase and sniffed it. “I can’t wait to see her.”

  “She’ll be thrilled to hear it.” He only paused slightly as he shifted the conversation. “Well to get to the real reason I called, I received some documents that I wanted to personally speak with you about.”

  My stomach sank.

  After weeks of back and forth negotiations, I was just tired. I was ready for the divorce to be over and finalized so I could move forward with my life. Every time Mr. McMannus called, it felt like he was calling to tell me that Anthony and his legal team were nitpicking and being uncooperative. I even tried calling Anthony to talk some sense into him and he’d changed his number without letting me know.

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

  “Documents like what?” I asked dejectedly.

  “Documents to celebrate your independence.”

  My eyes flew open. “What?” I sat up. “What?”

  “Anthony has accepted your offer and will buy you out of half of the house. The stocks and bonds have been evenly split. He will pay for the reupholstering of the chair Mrs. Mills left you. He will pay your health insurance and your court costs. He continues to plead the fifth regarding his infidelity, but if you want his admission, we could press him. We have the witnesses.”

  I shook my head. “No. It’s not worth it. The nurse he was screwing will lie. She has a husband and college aged kids. And the only viable witness works for him and I don’t want her to lose her job.” I let out a deep breath. “As long as he’s accepted the terms, that’s all that matters. He knows
what he did. He’ll have to live with it for the rest of his life.”

  “Well, after a hell of a year, you are officially divorced, Emily.”

  “Thank God! Thank you, Mr. Mac!”

  We said goodbye and as I hung up the phone, I did my happy dance where I stood. And then it hit me.

  “I’m divorced,” I whispered aloud.

  I called my parents and Sahara since I knew they weren’t working. Unfortunately, they didn’t answer the phone. I called my brother and Monique and left them messages to call me as soon as possible because they were at work. I called Addison and felt a sense of elation when she actually picked up the phone.

  “Hey Gorgeous! I was just talking about you,” Addison greeted me.

  “All good things, I hope.”

  “Fabulous things actually.”

  I started walking around my office. “Oh? Do tell!”

  “I was thinking about that routine with the adult dancers you featured during the showcase. What would you say about choreographing something for December? We’re having this big New Year’s event and we’re inviting local celebrities and musicians and making a huge deal out of it. The buzz surrounding the event will give us the boost we need to roll into next year as the new place to be and musicians will probably want to know who choreographed the dances and that could be huge for you too. It’s a win win for us both. And to top it all off, it’ll be a few weeks after the wedding so we’ll all be ready to party again.”

  I let out a short laugh. “Very true. That sounds amazing! I’d love to.” I hesitated, not wanting to bring down the mood. “That’s actually my anniversary so it would be good to get away from here and do something fun and celebrate New Year’s as its own separate thing from my anniversary. Thank you for thinking of me. This could be a really good look for Studio E.”

  “As much as I’d love to take the credit, I didn’t think of the idea. Addo did. He suggested after the showcase—um, shit. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  My heart fluttered. “He was at the showcase.”

  “He didn’t want anyone to know so he drove down separately and left before the reception. He didn’t even sit with us. I didn’t know until we got back and I heard him humming one of the songs you’d used. And then when I was asking my fiancé for the name of a different song—the one from the outro—Addo knew that one too. So I asked him if he was there.”