He rolled his eyes over-dramatically. “I guess I’ll just have to deal with it.”
I gave his arm a quick squeeze. “You’re a real pal.”
He grinned as I stood up to find a movie, and while I was choosing, he picked up the bean bags and moved them around, putting them in a position where we could see the TV better. After some deliberation, I chose Notting Hill. It might have been ancient, but it served two purposes. It would make me laugh, and it would make me think of home. If I wasn’t allowed to visit England, I’d just watch movies about it until I got a chance to go back.
Bryce and I snacked on the individual vanilla and raspberry crème brulées I’d made us for dessert as we watched, and when the movie ended, I let out a huge sigh.
“How come everyone else gets a happy ending?” I asked, flicking the TV off with the remote then dropping it on the bean bag beside me.
Bryce shifted his eyes to me. “Really, Leah? You’re sitting here with Mr Can’t Keep A Girlfriend, asking about happy endings? I’m not best person to advise on that topic.”
I snorted out a laugh. “Well, at least we’re both pathetic.”
“That’s why we get along so well. We’re both doomed to sit here together watching crappy movies and bitching at the world.”
Turning my head towards him, I said, “I guess there are worse places to be.”
Bryce grinned and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I shuffled closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. “That’s true.”
After a short silence, I said, “What will he do, Bryce? Is he going to choose me?”
His silence sliced through me, re-opening the unhealed wounds I carried on my soul. I needed him to say yes. To tell me Radleigh would come home. He must have felt me grow cold in his arms because he held me tighter.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” he said softly. “I wish I did. But I can tell you what I do know. If he makes the wrong choice, if he chooses her, he’ll regret it. When she’s bored of him and finds someone new to screw around with, he’ll regret letting you go.”
I looked up at him. “Do you think Sarah regrets letting you go?”
“Oh, God no. Neither of us were happy for a long time. It just took me saying so to put an end to it. I think if I hadn’t, we’d hav
e stayed together forever.”
“I don’t understand that. It’s usually the woman who speaks up if she isn’t happy. If she was really that miserable with you, why not just give it up before?”
“Well, I don’t think she was miserable.” He smiled. “But we were more like friends than husband and wife. Everything had become mechanical. Our routine never changed.”
“If she’s happy now, would she spend her weekends drinking?”
He shrugged. “Not my problem anymore. Not unless anything she does puts the girls in danger. If she’s unhappy now, it’s not me making her that way.”
I put my head back on his shoulder. “We need to find someone for you. I really did think Bethan might be the one.”
“She was a great girl. But probably not someone I’d start a whole new life with.” Bryce sighed. “I miss having a family life. I don’t miss how stale life with Sarah had gotten, but I miss coming home to someone. I miss the kids.”
“I can relate. I mean, I still have Jessica, but I don’t get much in the way of conversation from her. If I’m lucky, she might say ‘mama’ now and again, but… it’s not much to work with.”
Chuckling, Bryce said, “When she starts talking, you’ll wish she’d shut up for five minutes so you can have some peace!”
“Yeah, Deanna said that to me once.” I laughed. “Right now, though, it’d be nice to have someone permanently in the house I can talk to. I mean, the housekeeper comes in three times a week, but I can hardly follow her around and make her talk to me.”
“Why not?” he teased. “You pay her enough.”
“Good point!”
I shifted my position again so I could reach the bottle of water I’d placed on the floor by my feet then took a sip. I turned to Bryce again. It was strange to me that he’d had such a hard time finding someone new. He was the kind of guy all women say they want. Good-looking, with thick, dark hair and beautiful eyes. Incredible biceps. He dressed well, and had an excellent sense of humour. Plus, he was caring, understanding, great with kids, and good fun. What was not to like?
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.
“Like what?” I smiled.