Page 47 of Not Yet Yours

It all makes a sick kind of sense now. The constant phone calls and summons to go here, there, and everywhere. Until we got serious, I hadn’t realized how often he got called away and I had never really thought about the late nights, sometimes it even got so late that he would text me and say he was staying at one of the hotel rooms that night. And those were just on the nights I was staying at his place, or he was staying at my place. All those other nights, he was free to be anywhere, and I wouldn’t know it.

I remember a couple of weeks ago after another phone call to go into work, I had made a joke about him having an affair and he joked that his side chick was a hotel. But he wasn’t having an affair at all. Well, he was, but with me. I am the side chick, and the hotel is code for his fucking wife. He could laugh it off because I’m not the one he’s cheating on in his mind.

How could I be this fucking stupid? How could I believe for even a second that someone as smart, successful, and hot as Liam could be single? Or that he could want me and all my emotional baggage. It’s fine for a side chick, but not for the main attraction.

I know I should stay and confront Liam, but I don’t think I can face seeing him right now. And really, what’s the point of me confronting him? He will either confirm it and I don’t really need to hear him say it after I have seen the evidence with my own eyes, or he will deny it and I won’t believe him because I have seen the proof, so either way, we’re done here. If I stay toconfront him, it will only be to let him know I know, and I can do that without staying here and being made even more of a fool of.

I slip the marriage certificate out of the file, put the file back away, and shut the drawer. I put the marriage certificate on the desk. I want Liam to know that I know so that when I ghost him completely and refuse to talk to him, he knows it’s because I have found out about his dirty little secret, not because I have freaked out and gone back to my old ways.

I need a way to make sure he notices it though because at a quick glance from the doorway, he probably won’t be able to tell the difference between that and any other bit of paper that needs sorting. I look around and grab the paperweight from the corner of his desk, who the fuck even has a paperweight anymore? I put it on the marriage certificate. He can’t fail to notice that’s been moved and I’m sure he’ll be curious as to why and come closer to see what’s beneath it.

I walk out of the home office, shut the door, and then I go back to the living room. I slip my shoes on, get my purse, then I walk out of Lian’s apartment, and out of his life for good.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Harriet

At first, I start to spiral, telling myself that my father was right after all, but I think of my therapist and the mental exercises she gave me to do when I started to let myself think that way again. I run through them all until my mind is clear. Ok, my father is still the bastard in that scenario, but it doesn’t feel like I am cursed, like I am destined to just be alone.

I get to the lobby, leave the building, and go to the parking lot, where I go and find my car. I get in and for a moment, I just sit there and debate going home, but the thought of going to my house and stewing alone is too tragic to contemplate. I need to talk to a friend and get this all out. Plus, if I’m at home alone and Liam turns up there, I know I won’t be able to resist hearing him out and I’ve had enough of his bullshit to last me a lifetime.

I get my cell phone out of my purse and type out a text to Max.

Hey. Sorry to bother you, I get that you’re probably at work, but I really need you. Any chance you can take off for an hour or two?

I hit send and hope for the best. I get a response within minutes.

Is everything ok?

My reply is simple and straight to the point.

No.

I feel like I should have said more after I hit send, but I didn’t want to go into it in a text message and I was scared that if I said yes, everything was ok, Max would want to see me after work instead of now and I really can’t wait that long. Her latest text pings straight in.

Leaving work now. I’ll be home in five minutes. Meet me there.

Cullen’s apartment, which is obviously now Cullen and Max’s apartment, isn’t far from here, but I start to pull out of the parking lot straight away. If I have to sit and wait in a parking lot, I would much rather do it at Max’s end than risk sitting in Liam’s parking lot and him coming back and seeing me there.

I drive across the next couple of blocks and pull up in Max’s parking lot. I send her another text message letting her know that I am here and to text me when she arrives. Her reply comes a few moments later.

I’m already here. Come on up.

I guess her office is even closer to her apartment than Liam’s place is. I honestly thought I’d beat her here. But I’m not entirely sure how long I sat staring into space before I considered the possibility that Liam might come home and see me sitting there in the parking lot. Not that it matters but I am definitely glad I didn’t wait around in Liam’s parking lot for a few minutes longer before setting off because I really didn’t need to. Max is here and that’s all that matters.

I get out of my car, walk around to the entrance to the building, and buzz to be let in. The door clicks open, and I go to Max and Cullen’s apartment and knock on the door. Max lets mein, takes one look at me, and wraps her arms around me. The moment I’m in her embrace, I can’t stop my tears from falling and I start to cry.

Without releasing me from her embrace, Max kicks the door shut and leads me to the couch where we sit down, side by side. Max doesn’t press me for answers at first, she just lets me cry it out until I’m done. When I stop crying, she releases me from her embrace and hands me a packet of tissues. I smile gratefully and take one out of the packet. I wipe my eyes and then my nose.

“What’s happened?” Max asks. “Is your mom alright?”

I nod quickly,

“Yes, she’s fine,” I say. “No one is dead or anything. I… It’s Liam.”

“What did he do?” Max says.

Suddenly, I wonder if it’s weird talking to Max about Liam when she’s technically his family now.