feels like my old life. It’s not making money, and I really just want my divorce finalized. I hate giving Charles what he wants, but I just can’t do this anymore. I’m… I’m tired.”
I let the defeat creep into my voice and I hated that, to some effect but that was what it was. I couldn’t hide it anymore. I couldn’t keep pretending that I was strong, or some kind of a badass. I wasn’t. I was just tired. Tired of Charles, tired of grieving, tired of struggling, and tired of having to be the one to make all of these complicated decisions.
I took a deep breath. Fenris had trusted me implicitly earlier tonight, and I felt the least I could do was return the favor.
I trusted him back and spilled my guts about all of it. About exactly how I felt, and he just squeezed me a little tighter and kissed the top of my head again. “What if I told you there might be a way to have your cake and eat it, too?” he asked.
“How?” I asked, sniffling, an errant tear dripping down my nose.
“You need to liquidate your assets in the business, yeah?” he asked. “To give him his half?”
“Yeah, but they were all bought with my money, it’s hardly fair,” I said.
“They’re yours, and ain’t nobody said you have to sell them for what they’re worth.”
“What?” I asked.
“Sell the whole fuckin’ lot to me for a buck, then when your husband wants his half, give him a check for fifty cents and tell him to fuck off. Of course, one of my boy’s suggested selling for even lower than that. He said do four cents, so that when it came to giving him his half, you could hand him your two cents.”
I laughed. Oh, God. I actually liked the sound of that!
“I mean, I don’t know… could I do that?”
“Mav is the smart and devious mind when it comes to the law. Let me run it by him?”
“Sure,” I said softly.
“How much you got left on your lease?” he asked me and I hadn’t even thought that far ahead.
“Um, I don’t know,” I answered. “I didn’t even think about that and I can’t remember dates and times for the life of me right now. I mean, if it’s not right in front of my face and on some sort of fire that needs putting out, I don’t seem to have a head for anything.
“That’s okay, baby. That’s okay.”
“There’s just so much…” I said. “Not just with Charles but with my brother’s widow and my nephew, Silver.”
“What’s going on with them?” he asked.
“I think they’re going to have to move in with me at my mom’s before too long. Christen can’t keep up with the house payments. My brother had life insurance, but the policy won’t cover the remainder owed on their house. Not even close.”
“Not sure how that’s your problem, babe.”
“My sister-in-law and I may have no love lost between us, but I can’t do that to my nephew. I would never do that to my brother’s son.”
“That’s fair,” he said. “You’re a good woman, you do know that, don’t you?”
“Eh, I’m alright,” I tried to joke, but he wouldn’t let me get away with it. He tipped my chin, and I looked up at him.
“You’re a good woman, Aspen, and it’s only one of the many reasons why I love you.”
I think I forgot to breathe. The sincerity in his eyes was something that I didn’t think could be matched.
“We’re gonna get you all sorted out, baby. One complication at a time. You just tell me where to start.”
“Um, getting my mom’s house in order and cleared out,” I said, and he nodded.
“Okay. We stay there until it’s done.”
“What?”
“You heard me. We’ll get up first thing tomorrow, head over there so you can get a shower and a fresh change of clothes and take you to work. When you’re done for the day, we’ll stay there chipping away at it ‘til it’s done.”
“You’re serious,” I said.
“I am.”
“You would do that? Uproot your entire life just to make mine better?”
“In a heartbeat,” he affirmed.
I fell mute and lay my head back down.
“Okay?” he asked.
“Okay,” I murmured.
“Okay.”
It’d been a few days, and we were executing Fen’s loose plan through a bit of trial and error. There honestly wasn’t a whole lot we were able to get done the next few nights. By the time I got home, it was late and I could only maybe go