THE BAZAAR (The Devany Miller Series) by Jen Ponce Page B

flooded me. "I didn't. I only told them you and I were having troubles."
    He began cleaning up the table, his movements sharp and angry. "Liam wouldn't talk to me. Bethany asked me if I was moving out. Sure as hell sounds like you made me out to be the bad guy."
    "Perhaps they got that impression because you didn't bother coming home yesterday, didn't bother making sure they had dinner, or that they did their homework like you've done every other day of their lives." My stomach clenched, my calm trickling from me. I didn't want to get into another fight. I took a deep breath to center myself, not sure if I'd be able to. My previous attempts at meditation or intentional calming left me irritated. “I thought we were talking to them together. I didn't realize you'd ditch all of us.”
    "I had to think. I couldn't come home. I was a wreck. But that didn't give you the right to turn my kids against me."
    I made a face, still waiting for the guests in my head to make an appearance. Nothing. "Knock it off." 
    He stared at me. "What?"
    I put a hand on my hip. "Knock. It. Off."
    Tom shook his head as if still incapable of understanding what I meant. Or maybe it was that I didn't take such a forceful stance with him. I was a negotiator, a peacekeeper.
    Not anymore.
    "If you don't want to believe me, don't. I don't care. But don't keep accusing me of the same thing over and over. You don't believe me? Ask the kids. Ask them what I said to them." I collected the dirty silverware and helped him load the dishwasher, the domestic chore making the whole situation surreal. 
    For a while, we worked in silence, and then there was nothing left to keep us from each other, from the situation. Situation. Funny euphemism for the end of a marriage.
    "You're different," Tom said, finally.
    "Yes." 
    He reached out a hand and laid it on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."
    "Me too." I put my hand over his, gave it a brief squeeze and then moved it away. The hurt in his gaze made my own heart ache, but I couldn't comfort him. Didn't want to. 
    He looked down at his feet. "My lawyer says I shouldn't move out of the house."
    Lawyer. "Oh?" My anger spiked. Neutria awoke.
    Kill him. Betrayer.
    Relief mingled with my anger. She wasn't pissed. 
    "Dev? Are you listening?"
    "I can't believe you've already been to a lawyer. In a hurry, are you? I haven't even gotten over the shock of it and you're already visiting a lawyer. Huh." Feeling like I might punch him, I quickly put the center counter between us. 
    "It's not as cold as it sounds."
    "Oh?" He attempted to come toward me but I put a hand out to stop him. "Don't. Just don't." 
    "I'm sorry."
    "Yeah, you keep saying that." I left before I could act on Neutria's suggestions. Sorry, sorry. Ugh. I hated that word. I didn't have to look at the clock to know it was the perfect day to go to work early, and headed upstairs to get ready.
    "Devany? I have the day off. We can talk. Get things straightened out."
    "I can't," I called back down from halfway up the stairs. "I have to meet a client today at ten. Sorry." 
    "Dev. We need to talk about this. Get settled what we're going to do."
    I ignored him, which was rude, I know, and proceeded to change for work. I put on a flouncy purple dress that I hadn't had the desire to wear until today. Today I needed something upbeat and a little frivolous.
    I slipped on sandals, the lover's balm necklace from the fair and, after a moment's hesitation, took off my wedding ring and shut it away in my jewelry box. For now. Maybe forever.
    Tom waited at the bottom of the stairs, taking in my outfit without expression. What was he thinking? I kinda hoped he wondered why I'd dressed up, or maybe I looked so hot he was wracked with guilt that he'd cheated. More likely, he thought I'd screwed up his plans. "I'll be home at five. Will you be here for the kids?"
    He nodded. 
    "See you then. After they go to bed, then we can talk."
    "I wanted to talk to them as a family tonight."
    I picked up