house of cards.
“Heather is a difficult woman.” His back is to me. I roll my eyes. Like that needed any clarification. “Our situation is fucked up.” He laughs to himself. I remain silent. “It’s work. Business, if you will. There’s no love, no affection. Just two extremely self-centered people using each other to get ahead. For years it’s worked.” I take a sip of water, wishing it were something else. The cabinets catch my eye, and I wonder if there’s anything stronger in them, because I really don’t give a shit about what his relationship with her is or isn’t.
I realize he’s busted me staring off into space. “Is there a point to all this?” I ask with an unimpressed glare. His brow creases and he sucks back from my ambivalence. The realization that I’m not going to be an easy catch this time finally hits home. Nope. Not me. No falling into his arms with my legs spread wide this time.
“I’ve never tried to get away from her. Not really.” He begins pacing, working his hands together as he strides. “I’ve never wanted to.” I blow at a stray strand of hair, again bored by his explanations. My last trick rattles him. In two strides, he closes the space between us. Taking my arms in a tight grip, he turns my barstool to face him and gets all up in my face. “Until you came into my life.”
Now he’s got my attention. But his hands are on me, and that’s a dangerous thing. I spin from his grasp and start opening cabinets. Jackpot! I grab the cool, slender neck of a nice Zinfandel and start rummaging for a bottle opener. He continues, once again realizing I’m not the naïve little girl he once seduced so easily.
“If you want this, Carly. If you truly want us, I’m prepared to get rid of her. For good.” My ears thrum in the silence that follows. It’s everything. The words I’ve waded through this horrible explanation to hear. I finish opening the wine, pour a glass and turn to him.
“And exactly how do you plan on doing that?” I lean against the counter and take my first sip. He clenches his teeth watching me raise the glass to my lips, but he says nothing. Instead, he steps forward, takes the glass from my hand and leads me to the den. I follow reluctantly.
He settles me on the couch, takes a seat on the coffee table opposite me and continues. “I’ve broken my back to build my career, but it’s not worth anything if I’m miserable. And without you, that’s exactly what I am.” His words soften me in the way only a lover’s words can. I swallow a smile that twitches my cheeks because this still isn’t an answer, but I do take his hand. He studies our intertwined fingers
“So what does all that mean?”
“I’ve talked to my lawyers. We’ve been together long enough for common law to apply, but I’m prepared to negotiate a separation.”
“What about her blackmailing? She’ll never walk away.”
“Yes, she will. Heather’s MO is fame and money. I’ve got more than enough of both. And while I hate the idea of buying her off, it’s the only language she speaks.”
“I’m not sure about that,” I argue. I’ve known bitches like her. They don’t give up so easily.
“I am,” he says, staring resolutely forward. “She’s got a price. She always does. It won’t be pretty. It’ll hurt like hell to hand over the hundred million she’s going to ask for. But I’m willing to do it.”
“Devon, what does she have on you?” I ask, unable to believe there’s any secret in the world worth handing over cash like that.
“Don’t,” he says, turning away from me, pain seizing his entire body. “Please don’t ask me that. Everybody’s got parts of their past they need to forget.” I pale at his answer, knowing how right he is. There are big parts of mine that need forgetting, too. I can’t demand to know his if I’m not willing to share mine. “I want to walk away from all this, if...”
“If what?” I ask, leaning into him, forgetting my
“Heather is a difficult woman.” His back is to me. I roll my eyes. Like that needed any clarification. “Our situation is fucked up.” He laughs to himself. I remain silent. “It’s work. Business, if you will. There’s no love, no affection. Just two extremely self-centered people using each other to get ahead. For years it’s worked.” I take a sip of water, wishing it were something else. The cabinets catch my eye, and I wonder if there’s anything stronger in them, because I really don’t give a shit about what his relationship with her is or isn’t.
I realize he’s busted me staring off into space. “Is there a point to all this?” I ask with an unimpressed glare. His brow creases and he sucks back from my ambivalence. The realization that I’m not going to be an easy catch this time finally hits home. Nope. Not me. No falling into his arms with my legs spread wide this time.
“I’ve never tried to get away from her. Not really.” He begins pacing, working his hands together as he strides. “I’ve never wanted to.” I blow at a stray strand of hair, again bored by his explanations. My last trick rattles him. In two strides, he closes the space between us. Taking my arms in a tight grip, he turns my barstool to face him and gets all up in my face. “Until you came into my life.”
Now he’s got my attention. But his hands are on me, and that’s a dangerous thing. I spin from his grasp and start opening cabinets. Jackpot! I grab the cool, slender neck of a nice Zinfandel and start rummaging for a bottle opener. He continues, once again realizing I’m not the naïve little girl he once seduced so easily.
“If you want this, Carly. If you truly want us, I’m prepared to get rid of her. For good.” My ears thrum in the silence that follows. It’s everything. The words I’ve waded through this horrible explanation to hear. I finish opening the wine, pour a glass and turn to him.
“And exactly how do you plan on doing that?” I lean against the counter and take my first sip. He clenches his teeth watching me raise the glass to my lips, but he says nothing. Instead, he steps forward, takes the glass from my hand and leads me to the den. I follow reluctantly.
He settles me on the couch, takes a seat on the coffee table opposite me and continues. “I’ve broken my back to build my career, but it’s not worth anything if I’m miserable. And without you, that’s exactly what I am.” His words soften me in the way only a lover’s words can. I swallow a smile that twitches my cheeks because this still isn’t an answer, but I do take his hand. He studies our intertwined fingers
“So what does all that mean?”
“I’ve talked to my lawyers. We’ve been together long enough for common law to apply, but I’m prepared to negotiate a separation.”
“What about her blackmailing? She’ll never walk away.”
“Yes, she will. Heather’s MO is fame and money. I’ve got more than enough of both. And while I hate the idea of buying her off, it’s the only language she speaks.”
“I’m not sure about that,” I argue. I’ve known bitches like her. They don’t give up so easily.
“I am,” he says, staring resolutely forward. “She’s got a price. She always does. It won’t be pretty. It’ll hurt like hell to hand over the hundred million she’s going to ask for. But I’m willing to do it.”
“Devon, what does she have on you?” I ask, unable to believe there’s any secret in the world worth handing over cash like that.
“Don’t,” he says, turning away from me, pain seizing his entire body. “Please don’t ask me that. Everybody’s got parts of their past they need to forget.” I pale at his answer, knowing how right he is. There are big parts of mine that need forgetting, too. I can’t demand to know his if I’m not willing to share mine. “I want to walk away from all this, if...”
“If what?” I ask, leaning into him, forgetting my
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