Marrying Mr. Wrong (Dirty Martini Running Club #3) - Claire Kingsley Page 0,97
sounds silly, but the thought of going back to my apartment and living all alone was too much. I don’t know why. I lived alone for a long time and I didn’t mind.”
“Maybe because you didn’t think you’d go back to living alone,” Everly said.
She was right. But why had I ever let myself believe that?
“Have you talked to him?” Hazel asked.
“No. He texted right after I left, but I didn’t reply. And I don’t know what there is to say at this point. I do still need to get my stuff out of his house. And figure out how to pay him back because someone paid off all my loans with his money. Plus there’s the thing with my dad and the house he’s buying for him.”
“Wait, what?” Nora asked. “Did we know about that?”
“Probably not. I haven’t even told my dad yet. It’s what he agreed to in exchange for staying married.”
“You asked him to buy a house for your dad?” Nora asked. “Of course you did. Sometimes I don’t think the world deserves you. You’re too good.”
“Good at being a hot mess.” I took a big swallow of my martini.
“Sophie, you’re an amazing woman,” Everly said. “You have so much spirit.”
Nora put an arm around my shoulders. “She’s right. We’re lucky we found you.”
“Thanks, girls.” I sniffed back the tears. “I love you.”
“We love you too,” Nora said.
They really did. Maybe I didn’t have Cox. And maybe I was about to get divorced—my one and possibly only attempt at marriage starting as a disaster and ending worse. But I did have the best friends in the whole world. And that meant a lot.
By Saturday, I was slightly more put together, even without Nora coaxing me into putting on makeup. And I hadn’t tried to get a bearded dragon, or any other pets. The hamster hadn’t bit me again, even when I’d opened the enclosure to give him a little pet on the head. And the cat was warming up to me. I’d decided to name her Maddie.
I parked in front of my dad’s house and went up to the front door, apprehension making my stomach flutter. I wasn’t sure how Dad was going to react to what I had to tell him.
Here went nothing. I knocked and poked my head inside. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hi, princess,” he called. “Come on in.”
I went in and found him in his recliner.
He took off his reading glasses and set them on the side table. “What’s wrong?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“I don’t need fuckin’ legs that work right to see, do I?”
“No.” I sat on the couch and toed off my shoes, then tucked my legs under me. “I haven’t had the best week.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Well… it’s kind of a long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
Looking down, I fiddled with my shirt. “You know how I sort of got married.”
“To the suit.”
“Yeah. Cox. His first name is Camden, but I think his mom is the only one who calls him that. Anyway, you know it wasn’t a real marriage. It was a big mistake. We would have filed for divorce right away, but he was worried about bad PR and asked me if I’d stay married for a little while.”
“And you were too nice to tell him no.”
“Not exactly. We made a deal. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you about it, but it’s really hard.”
His brow furrowed. “The fuck did he talk you into, Soph?”
“No, it’s nothing bad. In fact, it’s something really good. And even though this week has royally sucked, when I think about it, it makes the whole thing worth it.” I took a deep breath. “Dad, he’s buying you a new house.”
He snorted. “Right.”
“I’m serious. He asked me what I wanted and it was the first thing that popped into my head. I thought for sure he’d say no, but he didn’t. We’ve been looking for something that’s perfect for you. I haven’t exactly talked to him since Monday, but I know he’s going to stick to his side of the deal.”
Dad stared at me like he didn’t know who I was. “A house?”
“Yes.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
“Why… why would you do that?”
“Because you need a house that doesn’t have stairs. I can’t let you keep sleeping in your chair.” I gestured to his recliner.
“No. No, you can’t do that. If he has the kind of money to just buy someone a house, he should buy one for you, not me.”