Things We Never Said (Hart's Boardwalk #3) - Samantha Young Page 0,22

to his report and saved it.

“I think she likes you.”

Michael glanced over his shoulder and up. Christ, he was so tired he hadn’t heard anyone approach. Getting his body used to a new shift pattern was harder now than it used to be when he was younger.

Nick Bronson stood at his desk. He and Bronson had come through the academy together.

“You look too fuckin’ awake,” Michael groaned.

Bronson clapped him on the shoulder. “Maybe the redhead will wake you up.”

Michael gave him a look. “She’s too young.”

His friend smirked. “She’s twenty-three.”

“You already checked?”

“She told me.”

“Then you date her.” Michael wanted to date like he wanted a bullet in his head. Sex, on the other hand, would be nice. Very nice, but not with young things working in his office.

Bronson lost his smirk. “Speaking of … can we talk?”

Michael wanted nothing more than to go home, but his friend sounded serious. Nodding, he grabbed his car keys and his jacket and followed Bronson through the office to an empty interview room.

“What’s going on?”

Bronson looked weirdly uncomfortable. He exhaled heavily. “I don’t know how to say this without getting punched in the face.”

Just like that, the weariness started to slide off Michael. Alert, he leaned against the door and crossed his arms over his chest. “Spit it out, whatever it is.”

“I’m dating Kiersten.”

For a moment, Michael thought he’d misheard. “I’m really fuckin’ tired this morning so you’ll need to repeat that because I thought I heard you say you’re dating my soon-to-be ex-wife.”

Bronson winced. “That’s what I said.”

“Are you shittin’ me?”

“Look, man, I didn’t expect it to happen. Okay? We bumped into each other two months ago—you guys had decided to separate for good. It wasn’t a date at first. We were just hanging out, talking about our divorces.” His expression turned apologetic. “I care about her, Mike. And Kiersten feels the same way. But I wanted you to find out from me before we go public with it.”

Jesus Christ. His wife was barely out of their bed, and she was already shacking up with someone new. And not just anyone, his goddamn friend. Michael knew his marriage was a mistake, and he’d known that for a long time, but that didn’t mean this didn’t sting.

“Guess the part where she told me my job was part of the reason our marriage didn’t work was a lie, huh?”

Bronson frowned. “She said that?”

You bet she’d fuckin’ said that. And that was when he worked the day shift. “Yeah, warning you now, Kiersten isn’t the kind of woman who wants to know about your day.”

“The shit I see? I wouldn’t put that on her anyway.”

Yeah, Michael hadn’t either. But Kiersten didn’t even ask him the simplest “How has your day been?”

Maybe that was just their relationship. Perhaps she’d be different with someone else.

And, truthfully, Michael wanted that for her. It was unexpected that she was trying to find it with a friend of his, and so soon, but Nick was a good guy.

He should be more upset than he was.

Part of him was almost relieved.

Did this mean he didn’t have to feel so guilty anymore?

Exhaustion deflated him. He held out his hand to Bronson, who took it, relief relaxing his features. “Take care of her.”

“Thanks, Mike. I appreciate it.”

“Well, I appreciate you telling me.”

They shared a nod and Michael left his friend, his tired brain now wired with this new information. As he drove home to his one-bedroom apartment in Chelsea, he thought of all the shit Kiersten had spewed at him during their many arguments. His job was depressing. He worked too many hours, and the pay wasn’t even that great. They needed more money. They needed a bigger house, nicer things.

Their house had been in Everett, and despite all the crap she’d given him about money, Kiersten wasn’t vindictive. She knew he couldn’t afford to keep up mortgage payments and get an apartment near the city. Instead, she’d gone back to her parents’ house in Southie, and they’d put the Everett house up for sale. Any equity would be split between them.

Michael sighed, feeling a weight compress his chest.

He’d never understood most of Kiersten’s complaints but at the base of them was her foremost: that he was distant with her. That he kept putting off having kids with her.

At the time, Michael hadn’t delved into it. He thought he was doing his best as a husband. After that ill-timed vacation in Hartwell to fix things between them, he realized all the crap Kiersten had