He turned to her when he had to stop for a light. “It’s none of his
business. He’s my slave. He gets no say in this. I terminated his rights as my partner when I found out what he did to you. I want him to truly comprehend what he’s done to us.”
She snorted. “He didn’t do anything to you, when you think about it.”
He returned his attention to the highway when the light turned green. “You spent the last five
years wondering why you weren’t good enough. I’ve spent the last weeks looking back on the past five years and wondering how much of what we had was really a lie. I went from feeling loved to feeling like a pity fuck. I think you and I each have a lot of issues to work out for ourselves. You have your life ahead of you, regardless. You’ve moved on. I’m left to wonder if I’m even going to survive, much less if I want to. If it’s worth fighting this time. Or if the man I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with would rather be with you.”
She stared at him, speechless. Yeah, that would suck.
* * * *
The attorney was waiting for them. Tilly assumed getting the pre-nup negotiated would be a
very complex process. Landry overruled the attorney on most matters, meaning it when he said he wanted it very cut and dry. Tilly kept all her pre-marital assets, no matter what, and anything she earned during their marriage. If he died, it all went to her.
Just as they’d discussed.
While they sat in the attorney’s office and waited for the secretary to finish creating the
documents, Tilly stared at Landry. “How much are you worth, anyway?”
“Roughly?”
She nodded.
He shrugged. “With the business and properties, over fifty million.”
She knew her eyes widened at that, because he laughed. “Not so much of a pay cut now, is it?”
“I’m not hoping you die. You realize that, right? I’m not going to try to kill you to get it, either.”
He smiled. “I know. You’re a kind soul. You would have made an excellent nurse had you kept
up with that.”
“How can you say that when you don’t even know me?”
He leaned forward, his gaze on her. “Because you have kind eyes. Nothing that’s been done to you has managed to kill the sweet and giving spirit within you, the soul who wants nothing more than to lovingly serve. Buried behind an extremely thick and well-defended wall, yes, but it’s still there.” He took her hand in his and kissed it. “I don’t deny we’ve both been through a lot of crap to get to this point. Honestly? I’m very glad you’ll be beside me through this.”
Well didn’t that just fill her with warm fuzzies. She had no idea how to reply, so she kept her mouth shut.
* * * *
Landry must have researched where to eat because he drove her out to St. Armands Circle, to a
nice restaurant with an outside patio, without asking her for directions. Fortunately there weren’t a lot of smokers and they could enjoy the beautiful day.
“I’ve decided I have another rule,” she said after the waiter took their drink orders.
He looked amused. “And that would be?”
She leaned in, dropping her voice. “What you said in the car on the way to the attorney’s office, about not knowing if you even want to fight. If I’m doing this for you, you will fight. Do I make myself clear? I’m not signing on for you to just give up and roll over and cave in. Understood?”
He studied her for a long time. “You don’t know me,” he quietly said. “Why is this so important to you?”
“I’m uprooting my life. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think you were worth it.”
He clasped his hands together on the table. “Why is it so important to you now ?”
She loved his eyes. Fuck, why’d he have to be cute? “Because he left me for you, to stay with you, to help you recover. You obviously meant a lot to him for him to do that. If you give up and die, then I lost those years and went through hell for nothing. If he gave you back your will to live and
business. He’s my slave. He gets no say in this. I terminated his rights as my partner when I found out what he did to you. I want him to truly comprehend what he’s done to us.”
She snorted. “He didn’t do anything to you, when you think about it.”
He returned his attention to the highway when the light turned green. “You spent the last five
years wondering why you weren’t good enough. I’ve spent the last weeks looking back on the past five years and wondering how much of what we had was really a lie. I went from feeling loved to feeling like a pity fuck. I think you and I each have a lot of issues to work out for ourselves. You have your life ahead of you, regardless. You’ve moved on. I’m left to wonder if I’m even going to survive, much less if I want to. If it’s worth fighting this time. Or if the man I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with would rather be with you.”
She stared at him, speechless. Yeah, that would suck.
* * * *
The attorney was waiting for them. Tilly assumed getting the pre-nup negotiated would be a
very complex process. Landry overruled the attorney on most matters, meaning it when he said he wanted it very cut and dry. Tilly kept all her pre-marital assets, no matter what, and anything she earned during their marriage. If he died, it all went to her.
Just as they’d discussed.
While they sat in the attorney’s office and waited for the secretary to finish creating the
documents, Tilly stared at Landry. “How much are you worth, anyway?”
“Roughly?”
She nodded.
He shrugged. “With the business and properties, over fifty million.”
She knew her eyes widened at that, because he laughed. “Not so much of a pay cut now, is it?”
“I’m not hoping you die. You realize that, right? I’m not going to try to kill you to get it, either.”
He smiled. “I know. You’re a kind soul. You would have made an excellent nurse had you kept
up with that.”
“How can you say that when you don’t even know me?”
He leaned forward, his gaze on her. “Because you have kind eyes. Nothing that’s been done to you has managed to kill the sweet and giving spirit within you, the soul who wants nothing more than to lovingly serve. Buried behind an extremely thick and well-defended wall, yes, but it’s still there.” He took her hand in his and kissed it. “I don’t deny we’ve both been through a lot of crap to get to this point. Honestly? I’m very glad you’ll be beside me through this.”
Well didn’t that just fill her with warm fuzzies. She had no idea how to reply, so she kept her mouth shut.
* * * *
Landry must have researched where to eat because he drove her out to St. Armands Circle, to a
nice restaurant with an outside patio, without asking her for directions. Fortunately there weren’t a lot of smokers and they could enjoy the beautiful day.
“I’ve decided I have another rule,” she said after the waiter took their drink orders.
He looked amused. “And that would be?”
She leaned in, dropping her voice. “What you said in the car on the way to the attorney’s office, about not knowing if you even want to fight. If I’m doing this for you, you will fight. Do I make myself clear? I’m not signing on for you to just give up and roll over and cave in. Understood?”
He studied her for a long time. “You don’t know me,” he quietly said. “Why is this so important to you?”
“I’m uprooting my life. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think you were worth it.”
He clasped his hands together on the table. “Why is it so important to you now ?”
She loved his eyes. Fuck, why’d he have to be cute? “Because he left me for you, to stay with you, to help you recover. You obviously meant a lot to him for him to do that. If you give up and die, then I lost those years and went through hell for nothing. If he gave you back your will to live and
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