“You called Jen and told on me. You were worried.” Christa cut her eyes at Allie and arched one eyebrow, daring her to try to lie her way out of it.
“That’s right, I did. And I’d do it again, so don’t test me,” Allie winked. “The truth is, I have been worried about you. All of this hit you harder than anything I’ve ever seen. You wouldn’t talk about it. I was desperate.”
Christa nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on the floor. “I haven’t been able to talk about all of it with anyone. Somehow, I managed to repeat what happened in Lance’s office to Jared. He said he’ll help me file for an annulment instead of a divorce, though he tried to talk me out of it since Aaron and I didn’t have a prenuptial agreement.
“The truth is, if I can’t have Aaron, I don’t want anything from him. I have this stupid fantasy where the annulment erases my memory so I won’t have to think about it ever again. As much as I know that’ll never happen, I know I’d never move on if I accepted any kind of settlement from him. It would almost be like I was still connected to him, and I can’t have that.”
“I can sort of understand that. But I’d still rather have an ass-ton of money while I sulk on a yacht, floating in the Caribbean, as sexy, oiled and naked cabana boys serve me frozen drinks with little umbrellas.”
“We all have life ambitions, don’t we?”
* * *
At the end of the day, Christa was exhausted and headed straight to her tub to soak until the water turned cold. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun on top of her head, leaned back, and let the hot water drown her worries. She tried to, anyway. Random memories and feelings kept popping back into her mind uninvited, until she wanted to literally drown them—by finding the bottom of a bottle of rum.
By the time she wrapped her thick robe around her and tied a towel around her hair, she’d forgotten Jared had said he’d stop by. Until the knock on her door and a quick glance at the clock reminded her.
“Hey,” she said sheepishly. “I didn’t have time to put on something other than my robe. Today was so crazy busy, I actually forgot about the papers for a while. Come on in, but don’t look at me.”
Jared chuckled and shook his head then softly kissed her cheek. “You’re beautiful, as always. I’m sorry I’m here so late. As the low man on the totem pole, I don’t really get a say in what time I leave the office. It depends on what case we’re working and what information we need.”
“You know you’re welcome here at any time. Plus, you’re doing me a humongous favor, and I appreciate it more than you know.”
“Helping you is my pleasure. No need to thank me.” He motioned to her small kitchen table. “Let’s have a seat and go over the documents before you sign. I need to make sure you understand everything in them, and what you’re giving up, before I file these.”
“I know what I’m giving up, Jared. You don’t have to reiterate that point. I don’t want anything of his. I don’t want a divorce. I don’t want alimony that’ll tie me to him for the rest of my life. This just has to be over and wiped away so I can start fresh.” By the time she finished her speech, her voice had increased two octaves. She’d grown weary of explaining herself and what she wanted, or didn’t want, regardless of how helpful her friends tried to be.
“Fair enough. I won’t bring it up again. Let’s go over the legal terms so you understand what they mean, because there will be questions once it hits the media. He’s very well known in certain circles—and becoming even more so with this new deal. The paparazzi will want answers.”
“Shit. Tell me all about it, then.”
They sat, and he spread the papers across the table. “There are very few instances where an annulment will be granted. One of those is unsound mind. You said he claims he doesn’t remember anything about the ceremony, the weekend in Vegas, or when you moved in to his condo. We can argue he has a preexisting medical condition that impairs his cognitive abilities, one he didn’t alert you of, and convince the judge to grant the annulment.
“When the media learns of the reason for the annulment, his business ventures will be called into question. He’s half owner of a very lucrative talent agency. He manages billion-dollar contracts. There’s no way to go through with this plan without some damage to his reputation.”
“This is the only way to get an annulment?”
“It’s the only condition you could possibly meet. The judge can still rule against it. The upside of an annulment is we don’t have to wait the six-month period a divorce requires. He’ll have thirty days to answer the summons. You’ll have to testify before the judge and explain why you should be awarded an annulment instead of a divorce. If there’s an opening, we can get on the judge’s calendar on day thirty-one.”
“I understand.” Her confirmation wasn’t a commitment.
He pushed the pen over to her and pointed out where her signatures were required. She picked up the pen and clicked the end several times while she stared at the signature lines.
“Christa?”
“I’m having a really hard time making myself sign these papers, Jared. I’m not in the right frame of mind to think this through.”
“Tell you what. Go ahead and sign them, I’ll take them with me, but I won’t file them until you give me the go-ahead. That way, when you’re ready to make a move, you won’t have to wait any longer than it takes to serve him. If you decide not to go through with it, I can shred them and no harm done.”
“Okay.” That time, her reply was emphatic and resolute. With one last click of the pen, she signed her marriage away.
She lay in bed that night, flipping through the channels, when a familiar face caught her attention. Aaron’s face filled her screen—tanned, smiling, and happy. On his arm was yet another model undressing him with her eyes. Her perfectly manicured hand slid up his lapel and stopped on his chest. He wrapped his hand around her long, slender fingers and moved her hand, not letting go as their arms simultaneously dropped to his side.
The agony of watching that scene play out in front of millions of viewers was too much, all while the news anchor speculated on his relationship with yet another model. With hot, angry tears rolling over her cheeks, she picked up her phone and fired off a text to Jared.
File the fucking papers. Tomorrow.
Prepare for the Shift
“I’ve had enough of this. I’m leaving.” Aaron zipped his suitcase and turned to face Lance. “My part of this job is finished. The models have been chosen, and the contract is signed.”
“We haven’t even been here a full two weeks yet. You can stay and enjoy summer in San Diego for a while longer.”
“No, I can’t. On one hand, I’m glad I came with you because it gave me time to clear my head. I’ve had to face some hard facts about myself—and it’s time I change what I don’t like.”
“Interesting. Let’s hear it.” Lance inhaled deeply, drawing up to his full height while puffing his chest out. “I’m all ears.”
“And yet I don’t have time to have this conversation with you because I’m flying back to San Francisco as soon as possible. Then I’m getting my wife back. Which I’ll follow up by selling my half of the business. If you’re interested in buying me out, I’ll be glad to talk to you sometime in the next few weeks.”
“What do you mean ‘getting your wife back,’ exactly?”
“It doesn’t matter how much wealth I’ve acquired or how successful I’ve been. I lost all self-respect and my self-esteem after what happened my sophomore year in college. Ever since then, you’ve told me every move to make, when to make it, how to act, and what to think. It really didn’t hit me how much I’ve depended on you until we were here, just relaxing, and you were still doing it. And I allowed you to.
“But the gut-punch I didn’t see coming was how you completely sabotaged my relationship with Christa—and enjoyed every minute it. Oh, the head injury was all on me. The memory problem wasn’t your fault. But when I called you that Monday morning, freaked out
because my memory was gone, you purposely used what happened back in college against me. You made me question everything about my judgment.
“The real reason you were worried had nothing to do with her drugging me and tricking me into marriage. You were worried about yourself. What would happen if I’d screwed up and picked the wrong girl? What would happen if she realized how much money we have and decided she wanted half of it? How badly would it hurt you and the precious agency? I don’t have time to argue, and I wouldn’t even if I had all the time in the world.”
“All I’ve done is try to look out for you. Your best interests. You fucking know that, and I shouldn’t even have to say it.”
“She is my best interest. Because I love her. It was my idea to get married, not hers. I know that without a doubt now. You know, I remember everything about her up until the week of the Vegas trip. I know for a fact she is the best person I’ve ever known, and I’ve hurt her in ways I’ll never be able to take back. Christa deserves better than how you and I have treated her. My job now is to make sure she gets exactly what she deserves—and more. Anything and everything she wants.”
With that, Aaron strode out of the hotel and hopped in a taxi to the airport. He saw everything so clearly after shaking the blinders off. Family had a unique ability of making or breaking someone, and his family had been overbearing since the incident years earlier. The wake-up call came when he realized he’d not only allowed it, he’d depended on their intervention and direction. When the time came for him to make decisions for his own life, his own happiness, he took a long, hard look in the mirror, and he didn’t like the reflection.
Taking control of his destiny felt damn good—liberating. Mistakes from the past could no longer haunt him, but making another monumental mistake would rob him of the happiness he’d found.
“One way or another, I’ll win her back. I’ll show her how much I miss her. How much I love her,” he muttered to himself. “And remind her why we’re perfect together.” And hopefully, regain my full memory.
Hours later, he opened the door of his condo, tossed his suitcase inside, and headed straight for his car. He hadn’t seen his wife in weeks, and it was past time to rectify that. He didn’t take time to rehearse any lines or try to figure out how to break the ice. He couldn’t blame her for the thick layer surrounding her heart since he’d been the one who put it there.
Once in the garage, he jogged to his car but stopped abruptly when someone called his name.
“Aaron? Aaron Rivers, is that you?”
Aaron turned to find a man in a suit and tie approaching with a friendly smile covering his face. “Yes. Do I know you?”
The man’s smile broadened into a toothy grin. “Aaron Rivers, consider yourself served.” He slapped the envelope on Aaron’s chest and quickly released it, forcing Aaron to grab it before it fell.
“Hey! Wait a minute. What the hell is this?”
“You should really ask your attorney about that. My job is only to provide proof you received the papers. Have a nice day.”
Aaron tore the envelope open and dumped the papers out. There, in black and white, lay his shredded heart.
Request for nullity of marriage.
He snatched the papers off the ground and jumped into his car, his heart racing faster than his vehicle ever thought about going. With tires squealing and horns blowing as he weaved through traffic, he arrived at The Sweet Spot in record time. His feet carried him into the café, while his eyes searched out his love.
She rounded the corner into the main area from the hallway just as he reached the display case. His heart slammed against his chest, but he couldn’t breathe. His eyes searched her for an answer, but he couldn’t voice the question. Unspoken words had done so much damage to them both already. Divorce. Annulment.
The time for them to talk had arrived—as husband and wife.
“Christa.” The inflection in his voice when he spoke her name sounded like a plea and a prayer. Hope and desperation. Pleasure and pain.
“You shouldn’t be here, Aaron. We have verification the process server has already been to see you. The final papers are being filed as we speak. Don’t make me add a restraining order to the list.” She stood her ground, her shoulders back and her head held high. Had he not been looking for a sign, he would’ve missed the fraction of a second she lost her bravado and showed her brokenness.
“We need to talk, baby. There are so many things I have to tell you, so you’ll understand what happened. Please just hear me out. Then if you still want me to leave, I’ll go.”
“Fine. You have five minutes, so you’d better talk fast.” She turned to the counter and told Allie she wouldn’t be away long.
They slid into his car for privacy, and she looked at her watch. “Tick-tock.”
Speaking quickly, he explained his head injury and subsequent seizure that robbed him of his memory. He urged her to call Logan and verify their conversation, how his best friend could vouch for what happened that night.
She couldn’t hide her concern for his health. Even as hurt as she’d been, she still cared. “How much of your memory have you lost?”
“Everything in the week leading up to the wedding is gone, except one flash I remembered. You, in your wedding dress, walking down the aisle to me. And me, having to forcefully keep myself in place and not run to you. You’re so beautiful, but the way you looked that night was simply amazing.” He reached over and covered her hand with his, sealing the moment between them with his touch.
But his feeling of triumph was short-lived when she snatched her hand away from his. “You remember everything up until the week before the wedding?”
“Yes.” His confirmation was tentative. Unsure.
“You’re telling me you remember everything about us except that week?” Her voice rose with each word, along with her anger. “Only that one week is missing, yet you still sprang divorce papers on me without talking to me first? You humiliated me in front of your brother and everyone in that office building. You tore my heart out, stomped on it, and killed every hope I ever had for a lifelong love.
“Waking up with no memory of the past few days would freak me out, so I’ll give you that. But if I’d remembered you, and who you were to me before that week, do you know who I would’ve turned to first? You. But that’s not at all what you did.”
“Christa, baby, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t call me ‘baby.’ The papers have been filed. I’ve requested a court date as close to the thirty-first day as they can squeeze us in. This conversation is over. We are over.”
She slammed the door shut behind her, leaving a stunned and speechless Aaron sitting alone in his car. Watching her walk away, unable to stop her.
In that moment, he vowed he wouldn’t give her up without a fight.
* * *
And here, buttercups, is where the fun begins. Which man will get the girl? That’s still to be seen. Which one deserves her is the real question.
* * *
Delilah
I slid into the passenger seat of Aaron’s car and flashed a big, toothy grin at his shocked expression.
“Hello, Aaron. Seems you’ve made quite a mess of your marriage already. I must say, I thought you’d make it longer than a few days before the groveling and begging for forgiveness would be necessary.”
“Mrs. Cushing?” His brows furrowed, and his head shook from side to side slowly in his confusion after my interruption.
“Call me Delilah.”
“Did Christa tell you about us? What did she say? Do you think she’ll forgive me?”
Poor boy was grasping at any straw he could find.
“Pay attention, Aaron. That girl in there is like a granddaughter to me, and I protect her fiercely. Make no mistake about it, I will crush anyone who hurts her. You and your brother came very close to being a bug under my boot for two reasons. First and foremost, you hurt Christa. That alone was enough for me to unleash my wrath on you. Secon
dly, you made me doubt myself. I’ve always had an uncanny ability to read people instantly, and for a while there, I thought I’d lost my touch.
“When I first met you, I sensed you were a good-hearted man. One who would honest to God take care of my girl, but more importantly, shower her with the type of love she’s never had. You’ve been given a rare second chance with me, Aaron. Don’t screw it up.”
“I’m sorry, Delilah. I’m still trying to catch up with you. Where’d you come from? Are you alone? Is someone helping you?” He turned to look out the back window of the car.
“Stop looking for my babysitter and wheelchair. The only reason Christa had to help me that day was because I was still recovering from a minor surgical procedure. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Now, what do you intend to do to win her back?”
“That’s exactly what I was just thinking about—I don’t know yet. I tried to apologize to her a couple of minutes ago. But all I managed to do is make her even madder, and for reasons I didn’t even think about before I showed up here. Wait—how’d you know I was even here?”
“My name is Delilah Cushing Hayse. Ring a bell?”
“Oh. Shit.”
“So, you do know my name.”
“Definitely. You started out as a real estate tycoon, but there’s not much you’re not involved in and influence today. You’ve moved more into the financial arena now. Whatever you buy or sell impacts the stock market. Major investors follow your lead.”
“That’s right. That also means I have friends in all kinds of places—high, low, and everywhere in between. Friends who have information I need, favors to repay, and a willingness to help an old lady out whenever she needs it. Good thing I called off that help when I saw you pull up here with your heart on your sleeve. Here’s what you’re going to do to win her back: whatever it takes to make her happy. Figure it out. I’ll be watching.”
With that advice, I exited his car and left him to wonder who my sources were. To be honest, Christa had been under my protection since the day I met her. She reminded me so much of myself when I was her age. Her timing couldn’t have been better since I was in the office closing another real estate deal when she contacted a corporate Realtor on my staff about the vacant bakery building.
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