“Tired of my shit?” Paxton’s whole tone changes. For the first time in all these tireless exchanges, he looks genuinely angry. “I’m watching you sit back and fuck over not one, but three people with this dumbass stunt of yours. Do you really not give a shit about anyone besides yourself?”
“What the fuck does that mean? If she didn’t want to fuck me, she wouldn’t fuck me. Don’t project your shitty singlehood onto me.”
“That’s rich.” Paxton snorts. “At least I’m not fucking a poor, confused woman who is dealing with her ex-husband who is trying to rob her blind.”
“You’re the asshole telling me to fuck her over with these pictures!”
“It’s like you can’t even see what’s in front of your own goddamn face.” Paxton storms out and catches Geoff at the door. “Come on, we’ll go get our own Chinese. Eric needs some time to sit and think about what he’s done.”
“Dead to me, Pax.”
“I’m not dicking around, Eric.”
The door slams behind them, leaving the office very quiet very suddenly. I hurl a pen across the room and try to convince myself it’s all bullshit anyway, but I’m just left in a twisted mess. Whatever truth there was to Paxton’s words, I don’t want to hear it.
I yank out the staged photos and flip through them again, watching Kate’s face the entire time. She doesn’t look like a poor, confused woman. She laughs and smiles with me. We’re happy together, which is more than I can say about being here.
I throw them on the desk, lock my office and head to the gym. I need to clear my head.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
KATE
“I think I like Claire’s classes better than Anna’s.” Lily pulls a shirt over her head and shoots me a look over her shoulder. “Don’t tell anyone I said that.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. You’re very right.” I pack the rest of my shower supplies in my bag and give my hair a shake. Yoga and a shower is currently all I’m living for. “She’s less judgmental than Anna, too.”
“Probably because of her media fast or whatever the hell she calls it. Ignorance is bliss.”
“And God love her for that.”
Despite hiding in my apartment and seldom coming out, the paparazzi picked up substantially over the last few days. David’s been, well, David, and people began speculating where I am and what I’m doing with my time. Go figure, I stop having sex and people start talking about it.
Vivian enjoyed her I-told-you-so speech a lot.
“Where to for lunch?” Lily asks.
We step out of the dimly lit studio into the blinding sun. It’s hot, but salt lingers in a cool breeze. My mouth waters for sushi and a mai tai on the beach. There is not a thing in the world ahi tuna wonton nachos can’t cure.
“Let’s go to Ruby’s.” I dig in my purse for my keys. I always forget to grab them when repacking my bag, and they always end up at the bottom. “I need a little fish and beach therapy after that session. Carry out the good energy vibes and all that.”
Lily stops behind me and doesn’t answer. I turn around, still rifling through my bag.
“If you’d rather go somewhere else, that’s fine. I’m just jonesing for some nachos.”
“Hello Kate.”
I freeze. Every good energy vibe I’d accrued in my hour of Bikram floods out of me and a high-pitched ringing in my ears spurs an instant headache. His mere presence is going to kill me. This has to be his plan.
“What do you want?” Lily steps in front of me and crosses her arms. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to talk to my wife.”
“Ex.” I say firmly and finally find my keys. I grasp them with a key between two fingers, just in case. “I’m not your wife anymore. Remember?”
“State doesn’t think so.”
“Matter of time.” Lily spits.
“We didn’t get a chance to talk before, Kate.” David continues like Lily didn’t say anything. “I misread the situation, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still talk.”
“Misread? That’s how you’re going to look at it?” I stare at him in disbelief. “What the hell made you think I’d sleep with you just because you showed up at my door?”
“With roses.”
“I don’t even like roses.”
“Sure you do. You always loved the roses I brought you. Don’t let this temper your memories of us, Kate. Don’t stoop that low.”
“Stoop that low?” Am I in the twilight zone? Did I really fall down the rabbit hole? “I said I’d talk to you, not that I’d sleep with you.”