by Emma Nichols
I moved closer to him and pulled his hands away from his face. “Look at me.” When he refused to meet my gaze, I moved closer and laid my hands on his cheeks. “None of that matters. It can’t be changed.”
“Five years,” he wailed. “Five years we could’ve been together. Five years she stole from us. Hudson could be our son. Now I’m tied to that bitch forever!”
“Leo, maybe it was supposed to be this way. Maybe this is how we learn to appreciate each other and each minute more. Maybe this was how we grew into the people we needed to be, in order to one day have a life together.” I stomped my foot. “Stop thinking about the past. Just focus on the future.”
“What future?” He threw his hands in the air.
I backed up. He was scaring me. Maybe he still didn’t want this. “What do you mean?” I asked quietly, my hands fisted at my sides because I didn’t know what else to do with them.
“We have nine months to go if she doesn’t contest this. I can’t have you getting disbarred over a relationship with me. And think about Sable. If she found out about this, she could drag the divorce out forever. She would too. Look at the lengths she’ll go to in order to get what she wants and make me miserable.” Leo shook his head and suddenly squatted down. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to let you go now that we finally found each other again, but I don’t want to hurt you anymore either.” He looked up at me with pleading eyes.
Squatting down in front of him, I sighed. “We’ll be friends. We’ll never lose touch again. We’ll get to know each other all over, better than the first time. It’ll be awesome. It’ll go fast.” I swiped at my face and sniffled. “I don’t want to lose you either. We’ll make this work without breaking the rules.”
Leo took my hands in his. “I’m so sorry.”
“No apologies.” I leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
“So how does this friends thing work, exactly?” He offered a half smile.
“Oh, you know…we run into each other from time to time. We hang out in groups. Groups are safe. We talk. We…” I was running out of ideas. This was going to be hard.
Leo took my hands. Together, we stood. Then he leaned in and kissed me, long and lingering, lips to lips.
“Do we kiss?” he asked playfully. “Do friends kiss?”
I felt naughty and I liked it. “What did you and Sable do when you were friends?”
“Everything. We did every. Damn. Thing.” He grinned and bent down to kiss me again.
“This is a terrible idea,” I murmured against his lips.
“Yeah. Horrible.” He laughed wickedly before pulling back. “What happens when we fall in love?”
I stared up at him and blinked a few times. “You seem to think that is an eventuality. We could fizzle out. You don’t know.”
“Oh, but I do.” He hauled me impossibly close and rested his head on mine. “I’m going to fall madly, deeply, passionately in love with you. How could I not?”
“Maybe…at least until the divorce…you could try really hard to just like me,” I replied. Then I bit my cheek and tried to hide my smile as I buried my face in his chest. After all, I had pretty much figured out I was going to fall hard for him too.
6
Leo
* * *
“How’d I get suckered into the cocktail portion of the evening?” I asked Liz.
She giggled and I was completely enchanted. “I think it’s because I said something about how I was great with appetizers, but don’t assign us the main course. And then you said something about how you were great with alcohol, after sucking down three mimosas.”
I smirked. “And how did I get stuck with you on this little adventure?”
Liz turned so quickly her hair whipped my face then wrapped her hands around my neck. “You’re incredibly lucky. That’s how. And remember: for the purpose of this divorce, there is no ‘us.’ Got it?”
“Right. No us.” I leaned closer and kissed her. The minute our lips touched, my pulse quickened. “These next nine months better fly by. Not getting to be with you all the time and in every way possible is going to kill me.”
“And yet somehow you survived the last five years with nary a word. Suck it up, dude. I’m pretty sure you’ve got this.” Liz rolled her eyes.
I glanced at the clock on the stove. “I think they’ll be here any minute. So, we’re ready, right? I mean…I never host anything. This is my first time and I really don’t want to blow it.”
“We have the lemon parsley gougeres, a glass of cheese straws, shrimp cocktail, bacon-wrapped scallops, and some mini quiches. We’re only going to be here an hour and there’s two more stops. This should suffice.” She studied the food.
“And you’re sure about the drinks too?” I rubbed my hands together. “Maybe I should start testing one…”
“You look ridiculously nervous for a guy who’s about to spend an awesome night with his friends. Definitely grab a drink.” Liz shook her head. “Try the mermaid punch.”
I grabbed one of the glasses she had prepped. On one side of the island, the rims were covered in sugar. On the other, the rims were salted. “You thought of everything. I’m so impressed with you. Thank you for everything.”
My mother peeked in. “Looks great, kids.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us, Mom?” I felt guilty leaving her here alone and with a mess. This wasn’t my weekend with Hudson, even though I suspected he was with a sitter so Sable could attend some of the many parties this weekend. After Memorial Day weekend, there was always some benefit, auction, or event to attend.
“No, you just relax and enjoy it.” She smiled as she leaned on the counter. “Okay, maybe I’ll have one of those.” She reached out and grabbed a mini quiche and popped it in her mouth.
“They were in the freezer section,” Liz admitted. “Sorry.”
“They’re delicious.” She pointed to the pink pitcher. “Now what’s in there?”
“Moscato margaritas.” Liz grinned. “Can I pour you one?”
“Absolutely.” My mother reached for a few more hors d’oeuvres.
“This progressive dinner was your idea, Mom. Come on.” I threw my hands in the air. “I hate leaving you here.”
“Progressive dinners are for couples. Go have fun. I’ll eat and put away any leftovers. I make no promises about leftover cocktails. This is delicious.” Mom laughed.
The doorbell rang and my mother patted my arm. “That’s my cue. I’ll be in my room until you leave. No guilt. I mean it.” Then she turned to Liz. “So good to see you again, Elizabeth.”
“Thank you for having me, Evelyn.” Liz smiled warmly.
To my delight, the two most important women in my life actually seemed to like each other. I watched them hug, and then my mother exited the room while I took a deep breath. “Come answer the door with me.”
Liz froze. “I don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea.”
“They’re our friends, Liz. If we can’t trust them, who can we trust?” I frowned.
“Each other. Let’s just trust each other for now.” She pushed me in the back. “Go on.”
So, I strode to the door alone. When I opened it, I found Tegyn and DeSean waiting on the stoop. “Traveling light today,” I teased.
“No kids! Mama Delta is spending the night. Pass me a drink.” Tegyn danced her way past me and straight to the kitchen while DeSean and I shared a man hug.
“Is Lizzie here?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“In the kitchen.” I smiled. Making him guess and question was actually rather enjoyable.
“Are you two…” He eyed me, waiting for me to fill in the blank.
I clapped my hands together. “You have got to try these appetizers. Liz is amazing.” Then I gently prodded him to move out of the entryway and toward the kitchen.
Before I could take two steps, however, there was another knock on the door. This time, I knew it would be Paxton and Avery. Glad to have the break fr
om all of DeSean’s questions, I quickly ushered them inside.
Avery frowned. “Where’s Lizzie?”
“Kitchen. But I’m right here.” I chuckled as she rushed past me to find her friend. “Good to see you too.” I called after her jokingly.
Paxton grinned and laid a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
By the time we reached the kitchen, the ladies were gathered around the island, drinks in hand. I pointed to Avery’s glass of clear liquid. “What’s that?”
“She only wanted water. She claims she’s hot and thirsty and alcohol won’t fix it.” Liz shrugged as she eyed her curiously.
“Hey, Liz, I thought you said you didn’t cook,” Tegyn murmured as she sampled one of the quiches.
“Well, those were in the frozen food section, so I technically merely reheated those. The shrimp cocktail…no cooking required.” She was pointing and ready to dissect and downplay her role.
“Liz searched on Martha Stewart for cocktail party ideas. I think she’s incredible, even if she doesn’t. Ignore her. I’d absolutely let her plan all my parties.” I smiled at Liz and watched her cheeks turn pink.
“I think we should leave catering parties to the professionals, but if you want desserts, then I’m your girl.” Liz glanced at me through her eyelashes.
If we’d been alone, she’d have been in my arms in an instant. This might be the first time I regretted hanging out with our friends. I stood there helplessly, arms hanging limp and empty at my sides. With a sigh, I reached out and grabbed one of the bacon-wrapped scallops and stuffed it in my mouth just to have something to do.
DeSean glanced back and forth between us. “Okay. Somebody better start talking. We saw everything at brunch, remember?”
I licked my lips carefully. “Maybe you didn’t know it, but Liz is actually Sable’s divorce attorney.” And then I left it at that. It seemed like for now, they would too.
Elizabeth
* * *
We enjoyed a nice, relaxed meal at Tegyn and DeSean’s. The plan for the progressive dinner had always been for us to end our night at Paxton and Avery’s place, since they had a pool, hot tub, and outdoor fireplace. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived there, but we’d been instructed to bring our suits. They had plenty of towels.
“Could you come help me, please?” Avery asked as soon as we entered her home.
“Sure.” I smiled and followed her to the kitchen. I was feeling incredibly relaxed thanks to the Moscato margaritas at Leo’s house. Then I followed it up with a glass of Merlot at dinner. Now, I was sure there’d be more liquor or wine of some kind and I wasn’t about to turn it down, unless I absolutely had to. “Hey, I forgot to ask, but if I drink too much, can I stay here tonight?”
Her brows rose. “You don’t want to stay with Leo?”
I hesitated before shaking my head. “Nope. Here is good.”
“Well, of course you can stay. I just don’t know why you would want to stay here. I know he wants to spend time with you. It’s obvious that you two have feelings for each other.” Her chin jutted out.
“Avery, we’re good the way things are for now. Leave it alone, okay?” I looked around the kitchen. “What do you need help with?” I watched as she began to pull desserts out of the fridge.
“You’ve always told me everything. Especially when it comes to guys. This time…nothing.” Her eyes watered. “Our mothers were best friends. We grew up like sisters. Hell, when you decided to move from New York to Charlotte for college, you lived with us while I was still in high school. It’s like none of that means anything anymore.”
“Avery, why are you getting so upset?”
Tears streamed down her face. She reached for tissues she had in a cupboard, dabbed at her cheeks, and then met my stare. She started to talk, shook her head, and then took a sip of her water instead.
My face scrunched up. Something was wrong. Different. “You’re so emotional.” I shook my head. “And you’re actually crying, for no reason.” I glanced at her drink. “You’re not drunk because you haven’t had a drop of alcohol all night.” I crossed my arms over my body while she watched me reason this out. Now, she was smiling like she enjoyed it. “You even asked for a chocolate milk to go with dinner.” My eyes widened. “Oh my God! Are you pregnant?”
Avery beamed and nodded a few times. “Yeah. I am. Due at the beginning of March. It’s early. We’re not telling anyone yet.” She swiped at her nose. “But we will be planning a very intimate wedding incredibly soon. Be ready. You have to be my maid of honor.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m honored. And so happy for you.” Really, I was, but there was still a twinge of jealousy. I couldn’t even kiss the man I loved in public, and here she was marrying and having a baby with hers. Give it time. Soon enough, I reminded myself.
“Okay, now we can have dessert.” Avery shrugged like she hadn’t been practically sobbing minutes before.
We carried out onto the patio some mini cheesecakes and something I didn’t even recognize at first. Everyone else had a drink and I thought I was the only one who had figured out Avery’s secret until Tegyn spoke up.
“You made all this? Nesting doesn’t start until the third trimester.” She winked at Avery.
Glancing around the table, Avery threw her hands in the air. “We didn’t want to tell anyone until after the wedding.”
“Fourth of July. Here. You’re all invited.” Paxton chuckled before he pulled her onto his lap. “We were going to do a secret wedding. Might still be secret for everyone else.”
Leo leaned over. “Finally, a distraction. Maybe we can get them to speculate about other stuff, huh?”
DeSean overheard. “Oh, don’t worry. We gonna speculate about you plenty. So, what gives?”
“Who’s ready for dessert? How about these tasty little morsels?” Leo reached out and popped the unfamiliar treat in his mouth. He chewed and his eyes widened. Finally he swallowed. “No, really, what did I just eat?”
“Did you like it?” Avery blinked a few times. “I modified the recipe.”
“It called for white chocolate,” Paxton began. “Instead, I got a lecture and you got semi-sweet.”
“White chocolate is an oxymoron. It’s neither white nor chocolate.” Avery narrowed her eyes at him.
“See what I mean?” He pressed his lips to hers.
“Liz, have one,” he urged. “It’s hollowed out toasted marshmallow, lined with chocolate, filled with chocolate mousse, topped with whipped cream, and drizzled with chocolate syrup.”
Without thinking, I opened my mouth and he popped the treat in. My eyes closed as I moaned in pleasure. Leo leaned in and kissed some stray chocolate off the corner of my lip.
“Sorry, you had a little something there,” he teased.
For a minute, everything else melted away. I forgot we weren’t alone and I was lost in his eyes, in this moment, with our shared secret. The attraction was strong.
DeSean groaned. “Keep telling everyone there’s nothing between you; we all got eyes.”
I jumped and leaned back in my seat. Leo reached over and held my hand under the table. “Tell them?” I asked weakly.
He nodded and took a deep breath before beginning. “We can’t be together yet, guys.”
“Why the hell not?” DeSean asked with a frown.
“It’s a big fat no-no. Technically, in North Carolina, Liz can’t be disbarred for having a relationship with her client’s spouse during the divorce, but it’s definitely something that, if made public, could keep her from making partner.” Leo squeezed my hand.
I looked down. “So, we’re going to hold off until after the divorce is final. Sable can never know because she could try to drag things out. And let’s face it, my firm wouldn’t object to all those billable hours.” I sighed.
“We’re just friends. For now.” Leo winked. “For all public appearances.”
Looking down at our interlaced fingers, I smiled.
T
hen he leaned in and added, “Because I’m thinking our future is worth the wait for our shot at forever.”
Even though I wasn’t cold, my whole body shivered.
7
Leo
* * *
When I walked into Stan’s office an hour before our mediation session with Liz and Sable, I was a man on a mission. I had to get this divorce over and done with. Deep down, I knew concessions would have to be made, but I worried over how much I would lose. Then I shook my head. That was the wrong attitude. Look how much I would gain when this was over.
“Leo, let’s get serious. We know she’s going to use your son as leverage. What are your goals? What do you want? What do you refuse to give up?” He folded his hands on his desk and stared at me.
I frowned. “I refuse to give up my son. What if we try to come up with a number? I’ll pay alimony either until she remarries or until Hudson turns twenty-one.”
Stan nearly choked on his own spit. “Whoa. I don’t think we need to go overboard here.”
“Listen,” I leaned back in the seat hard. “I can’t leave my child with her. She never really wanted him, barely cared for him. I’m not even particularly fond of visitation, but I’ll be flexible and hope that she’ll tire of it soon enough.”
“But…the money.” Stan’s jaw hung open.
“I can make more. I have plenty.” I shook my head. “It’s really about making sure everyone is happy. Without her, I’m happy. With my son, Hudson and I will be happy. And with money, she’ll be ecstatic. Looks like a lot of winning to me.”
He rubbed his forehead. “Okay, so how much would you say you’re willing to pay? And are you sure you don’t want one lump sum and be done with it?”
“I don’t trust her to spend wisely. I give her a lump sum and she’s broke in a year.” I blew out a breath. “And she can keep the condo. It’s paid for. She’ll be responsible for the HOA fees, but we can factor that into the monthly payments.”