Chapter Thirty-Three
Harper
I packed my bags at the motel. The rental car awaited me outside. It was time to return to Los Angeles.
There was a sharp resounding knock on the door.
“Just a sec!” I shouted. I zipped my bag and hurried to the door, glancing out the peephole before seeing Lincoln on the other side.
“Hey,” he said, greeting me with a sly grin.
I couldn’t hide the smile on my face either. Earlier that morning, we’d spent a good half hour in the shower, not the very least bit bathing and then quite a while tangled in the sheets. I could have spent forever in bed with the man, but that wasn’t a realistic possibility.
I had to return home. The film shoot was canceled. The director had resigned, and after the public news of my kidnapping, the studio put a firm hold on the production indefinitely.
At least the studio wasn’t blaming me, but they felt I needed time to recover.
“Did you come to say goodbye?” I asked.
In his hands, he held a manila folder. “While you came back to the hotel to pack, I took it upon myself to have a word or two with Enzo.”
My stomach somersaulted. “You did.” What did that mean?
He stepped inside my hotel room and approached the desk. “Enzo will be out of your life forever. All you have to do is sign the papers.” He pulled out the pages and laid them on the table for me to see.
“What are these?” I hesitated before I stepped forward, needing to read the contents. It was as thick as a book.
“Divorce papers. You and Enzo can go your separate ways.”
What was he up to? I scoured the papers, reading as fast as I possibly could. “Enzo agreed to this?” I asked.
I stared at the pages. I was no lawyer, but it looked solid and acceptable for both parties. I would get none of Enzo’s assets, and he would get none of mine. I would accept those terms. I didn’t marry him for whatever wealth he accumulated, and I sure as hell wasn’t giving up anything of mine to him.
Flipping through page after page, it was long but appeared agreeable.
“How did you do this?” I asked and lifted the pen from the desk and scribbled my signature.
“I had a few words with Enzo this morning. He already had the papers drawn up. It was as much his idea as mine.”
That surprised me. “Do we need a witness?”
“No, but you will have to go before the county judge. As soon as you’re ready, you can do so in any county or state together.”
I groaned. The thought of seeing Enzo again made me want to vomit.
“I’ll be with you the entire time,” Lincoln said. “Ariella and Hazel offered to come too. They want to throw you a divorce party.”
“Okay, but we’re not ordering pizza. The last time we did that, Zan showed up.” While I realized there was no relation between the pizza delivery service and the mafia arriving at the door, it still was an association that I wasn’t ready to get past.
“So, you’ll stay a little longer?” Lincoln asked, his eyes filled with hope. “A few more days?” Did he want me to stay indefinitely?
“Yes, I can do that, a few more days. You know, if you’re really that upset about me leaving, you could come with me to Los Angeles.”
Lincoln smiled tightlipped. “Los Angeles is so—”
“Sunny?”
“I was going to say smoggy. Don’t you love the outdoors? The quiet and beauty of nature. You can’t go rafting down the river with a view like we have in Los Angeles.”