“What in the hell were you thinking, Daphne? He’s a kid. Ellery dated him.”
“You’re not telling me things I don’t know, Rex, but I’m not apologizing to you for trying to get back the part of myself you trampled on when you walked out. You had a therapist telling you to take care of yourself. Did you stop to think what you did to me? You had been my everything, and you walked away from our vows, our future . . . me.”
Rex’s lips drew up. “We’ve been through all this, and I apologized. I can’t go back and fix it. Still, Clay’s so young. I can’t even picture you . . . and him.”
“I don’t want you to. What I am asking you to do is realize that I’m a person who is . . . a person. Not someone who fixes things, takes people’s shit, and feels guilty every time she does something that doesn’t sit right with others. I deserve some happiness, Rex.” As she said those words, something inside her moved and settled into where it belonged. Because for the first time ever, she truly believed those words. They weren’t mere vowels and consonants strung together by someone else, a mere repeated platitude. They were real and true. She deserved to be as happy as anyone else, and if that meant hurting people’s feelings or upsetting them with her choices—good or bad—then she would have to live in that space.
“I do realize you’re a person,” Rex said, but he sounded unconvincing. “I’m just surprised, is all. He’s young, and . . . I guess when I thought about you moving on, I had a different picture in mind of the guy.”
“I’m not moving on with Clay, Rex. But I am moving on. Finally.”
When Rex glanced back at her, she saw the tenderness in his eyes. “Good. I’m glad. I mean, part of me isn’t, because, well, you know. But the other part of me, the one who still knows you are my friend and will always care about me, is very pleased you’re getting a new life for yourself. I do love you, Daphne. I always will. I screwed up our marriage, and maybe it was for the best in the long run. Who knows? But I own the fault in what happened between us.”
“You weren’t the only one who made mistakes, Rex. I chased that dream hard, and sometimes I thought only about what would benefit me. I didn’t acknowledge or try to understand your feelings about my career.”
Rex gave her a wry smile. “Yeah, but you didn’t pack up and leave. I did. I messed up and didn’t try to fix it.”
“Water under the bridge now,” she said.
Rex walked toward her and wrapped her in a hug. He set his big head atop hers, and for a moment, the old familiarity of his embrace washed over her. She knew his smell, the feel of his rib cage expanding, the small indention in his back—a result of a bike wreck when he was thirteen.
When Daphne released him, something inside her finally knitted together, and she felt at peace. “So come see the house. You’re going to love the bathroom and wish we had done this when we were still married. It’s got that rain-shower thing you always wanted.”
“Sure, and when we’re done, I have a few things for you to look over and give me some advice on,” Rex said, dropping his hands and starting for the living room.
“Rex,” Daphne said, trying to stamp down the irritation unfurling inside her. “If this is about Pinnacle or your finances, I’m not open to discussion. That’s no longer my role, and if that’s why you truly came by, you can turn right around and walk out that door.”
He studied her for a few minutes, his shoulders sinking. “You know, it’s not the reason I stopped by, but I can’t deny that I respect your opinion and want your advice. But I get it. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Daphne paused and looked back at him. “Good. You’re learning.”
Rex’s lips twitched. “Guess it took me long enough.”
“Or maybe it took me long enough,” Daphne said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Ellery woke to speckled sunlight dancing across her face. “Ugh.”
She didn’t want to open her eyes, because a thousand tiny hammers were tapping against the inside of her skull. Instead she attempted to roll over, away from the darts of light that were trying to kill her, but