The Endless Road to Sunshine - Nicky James Page 0,5

trial, unable to be near too many reminders of the man I thought I knew. Instead of sleeping in the master bedroom, I’d relocated to the spare, refusing to spend a night in a bed where we’d once made love.

Levi drummed his fingers along the steering wheel, and I knew he was trying to find a way of asking the one question I’d avoided since Morgan’s arrest. He’d brought it up at random, but up until this point, I’d shot him down and refused to discuss it.

He pulled into the driveway behind my Hyundai hybrid and killed the engine. There were cars on the road I knew belonged to reporters and protesters. The minute we stopped, people got out and flooded onto the front lawn, ready for another round. The police had removed them several times, but they always came back. I gritted my teeth and ignored them.

The classic two-story colonial house I’d bought with my husband fifteen years ago loomed in front of us. The red brick and white shutters were no longer as appealing as they’d once been. It sat on a quiet street in a respectable neighborhood. “A good place to raise kids someday,” Morgan had told me.

I shuddered at the memory, unable to shake the burning hatred I now carried for this place in my core.

Levi shuffled until he faced me, ignoring the handful of people standing around outside, waiting for me to get out. “Please give me the go-ahead now.”

I stared up at the window to my old bedroom. The curtains remained shut. A lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it down. “It’s time, isn’t it?”

“It’s past time. Just say the word.”

I glanced at my best friend. “Okay. Please get the divorce papers ready. Please help me sort out this mess.”

He touched my leg, lingering. “On it.”

Levi wasn’t a divorce attorney. He’d studied criminal law and practiced criminal law, which had been an asset when it came to understanding the process of Morgan’s trial. Regardless, Levi had said more than once he’d help me when I was ready.

“Come have dinner with us before you leave town. Autumn and the girls will want to see you.”

I wasn’t in the state of mind to be good company, but I couldn’t tell him no. Levi, his wife, Autumn, and their girls, two-year-old Claire and four-year-old Jessica, were the only family I had left.

I stared at my hands before fixing a smile on my face. It felt weak and fragile. “Okay. Sounds good.”

Without a second thought, Levi clasped the back of my neck and dragged me in for another hug. “I love you, man. We’ll get through this.”

Chapter Two

Skylar

His midsize navy sedan still sat in the driveway when I pulled up across the street from the house.

“Dammit. You were supposed to be gone by now.”

I checked the time on my phone and did quick math to ensure I wasn’t going to be late for my first day of classes. Of course, the one day he diverted from his stringent routine was the day I’d planned for his absence at a particular time.

Before tucking my phone away, I flipped through my playlist and selected a new song from my endless favorites since the one playing wasn’t doing it for me. I cranked the volume a notch higher and bopped my head to the snazzy beat. Drumming my hands on the steering wheel, I couldn’t help moving and grooving even while confined in the car with a shoulder belt pinning me in place. If I had to wait, this was the way to do it.

With a wide smile, I sang along with Mick Jagger as he crooned about how pleased he was to meet me and asking me how I guessed his name.

It didn’t matter what time of day it was, my life unfolded to music. I woke up to it, moved through my day with it, and most nights, I fell asleep with earbuds in my ears. Some people thought me odd or a little eccentric, but I didn’t care. I’d spent enough years of my life repressing who I was as I tried desperately to please a man who would never be happy with me. I was done with that shit. It was time to be free and show my true colors. And those colors were all vibrant and bright and shiny.

Halfway through the song, he emerged from the front door, ten minutes late, suit impeccable as always, briefcase in hand. Squinting, I tried to decide if