remarked, “considering how paranoid Chris is about that type of behavior.”
“I bet she didn’t tell him.” Linneah smirked.
“It was college,” I said through gritted teeth. “I made a mistake.”
“I’m sure he’ll be very interested in hearing about it,” Addison said, inspecting her nails.
My stomach turned. Chris would flip out if Linneah told him what had happened freshman year of college.
You need to tell him first.
But could I? It was the most embarrassing moment of my life. It was the moment that, when it was two in the morning and I couldn’t sleep, I would spin over and over in my head.
I tried to calm myself down. Chris isn’t even going to let Addison near him.
“Suit yourself,” I said, trying not to sound like they had sent me in a tailspin.
“I will make sure at the end of this Chris divorces you and curses your name every time someone mentions you,” Addison said darkly.
“You mean like how he reacts to you?” I asked sweetly.
“Bitch,” Addison said, grabbing up her things. “Don’t think Chris cares at all about you. He only cares about money. You’ll see.”
She and Linneah stormed out. I slumped in my chair.
Grace: I might have lost us a client.
Ivy: I thought you didn’t have meetings today.
Grace: It was a surprise Addison visit. She’s trying to break up me and Chris.
Sophie: I bet she’s just trying to get Chris back.
Brea: She’s about to get married! *shocked face emoji*
Elsie: At the wedding last week, one of the bridesmaids who had had too much to drink on an empty stomach said that Addison actually despised her fiancé and was constantly trash-talking him and saying how small he was compared to her last fiancé.
Sophie: There’s no way she fires us. Then she wouldn’t have a direct line to Chris through Grace.
Grace: Chris cannot be a sacrificial lamb for our wedding business.
Amy: Guy with a dong that big and thick isn’t a lamb in any sense of the word.
Ivy: Besides, technically in this scenario Grace is the sacrificial lamb!
I was concerned though. Chris had seemed stressed out just dealing with his parents. Once we divorced and I wasn’t there to run interference, what if Addison made a move on him and he fell back in her clutches?
Not your problem, I reminded myself as I turned back to my computer. But I couldn’t concentrate. The thing was, against my better judgment, I cared about Chris. I didn’t want to see him hurt. And I didn’t want him to be saddled to Addison or someone equally as horrible for the rest of his life.
It would be better if he were with me.
“Nope!” I said aloud, jumping up to pace around the office. “We are not going down that road. Chris and I are not meant to be together. It was due to a horrible twist of fate that we’re together now.”
But I liked being with him.
“Ugh, this is why we should have just got an annulment!” I complained, flopping on the couch. Everything was too complicated.
Besides, if Addison and Linneah did for some reason tell Chris about what had happened my freshman year of college, he would sprain something trying to hightail it out of the marriage.
“It’s best to just let the relationship die,” I told myself. But as I sat in front of the blank Word document on my computer, I was hit with a wave of sadness at the prospect of not having Chris as a fixture in my life. What would I do without him? Chris had quickly become a huge part of my life. To suddenly not have him…I practically couldn’t even imagine it.
The elevator dinged, and I sniffled, hastily wiping at my eyes. If Addison had returned, I could not show any weakness.
But it was Chris standing there, with that sexy, brilliant smile.
I smiled back at him, mad at myself for being so happy to see him but also filled with a warm feeling that was too close to love for comfort as he wrapped me in his strong arms.
“I missed you,” he murmured into my hair.
“I missed you too,” I said into his chest, breathing in his scent and relaxing.
Chris tipped my chin up and kissed me.
“Am I interrupting?”
“Nope,” I said, stupidly grateful for the excuse not to have to try to work on my article. “I needed a break anyway.”
53
Chris
“I guess I should have clarified. I meant, are you busy for the next forty-eight hours?” I said to Grace as the car pulled up at the private airport.