“Are you fucking kidding me?” Paige asked as she snatched the phone away from me. “He doesn’t get to just call you.”
“Is it Marc?” Annabelle asked, her voice ice.
I reached over my twin, plucked the phone from Paige’s hands, and sighed. “Yes. And I’m going to answer because if I don’t, he’s going to call again, and it’s going to bug me.”
“Don’t let him have any power over you,” Paige warned.
I held up my finger, silencing them both, and answered. “Hello, Marc. What can I do for you?”
Annabelle’s eyes narrowed at that remark, and I could have kicked myself. I hadn’t meant to say that last part. I had wanted to sound calm and collected, like I didn’t give a shit that my ex-husband was calling me out of the blue after he had sent me a wedding invitation and after the fact that I had kissed someone else who hated the fact that he had kissed me. Oh yes, and even with all of that, all I could do was think about Killian and not the asshole currently on the phone.
“Archer. I wasn’t sure you would answer.”
I stood up from my sisters as both of them reached for me. I waved them off and began to pace. They were going to want to know what was said anyway, so it wasn’t like I could try to hide from them. But I also didn’t want them to accidentally overhear anything Marc said. Oh, they would be able to hear my side of the conversation, but they wouldn’t need to hear anything else.
“Well, you caught me on a good day.” I cleared my throat. “Congratulations on your wedding,” I said, surprising myself.
Both of my sisters clapped softly, and I figured I had sounded reasonable enough. See, I was taking the higher road.
Marc was silent for a moment before he cleared his throat. “Oh. I’m glad you got that. I didn’t know how to warn you.”
“Not quite sure why you would need to warn me. Or frankly, why you needed to invite me to your wedding.” No, Marc just wanted me to know what was happening and hadn’t had the balls to be anything but a dick about it.
“You don’t need to come. I just, well, I figured we could be friends.”
I rolled my eyes as both my sisters leaned forward on the couch.
“You don’t need to do this, Marc.”
“Now, Archer, don’t be like that.”
That got my hackles up. “No, you don’t be like that. It’s over between us. We had a dissolution of our marriage. Neither one of us owes each other a thing, not alimony, not phone calls. You are welcome to get married. In fact, you’re doing it. Good for you. I’m sure you and Rebecca will be wonderful together. But this has nothing to do with me. You don’t need to call me again. You don’t need to worry if I’m going to come to your wedding and make a scene. Because I’m not part of your life anymore, Marc. And we both know I probably shouldn’t have been before this.”
“Archer. You know it’s not like that.”
“No, you don’t know anything about what it should have been or what it is now. And I realize that now. I don’t need you, Marc. And you did not need me. And that’s fine. But don’t call again. And don’t wait for that RSVP card. I’m not going. Rebecca doesn’t need to worry about me. Your family doesn’t need to worry about me. And, Marc, you need to do what you’ve always done. Not worry about me. Goodbye.” And with that, I hung up. I looked at my sisters, whose eyes were wide as they looked at me and clapped.
“Extraordinary,” Paige said as she jumped up from the couch and practically threw herself into my arms. I rolled my eyes and caught her, hugging her tight, as Annabelle came to my side, squeezing me.
“I’m so proud of you, Archer. That was impressive.”
I shook my head. “It was a long time coming.”
It was odd, the relief sliding through me. I had been over Marc for a long time. And yet it felt new. Different.
I stood up for myself. Finally. Yes, leaving him in the first place had been a form of standing up, but not like this. Marc wouldn’t call again. Because he wasn’t going to get the reaction that he desired. I wasn’t going to get a note about a baby, or another marriage, or an anniversary party. I wasn’t going to get any of that because I wouldn’t matter to Marc anymore because I wasn’t someone he could manipulate.
I knew that now, and I hated the idea that it had taken me so long to figure it out.
In the end, I was okay.
At least, I was okay when it came to him.
I wasn’t jealous of my sisters. I never really had been. But I had wallowed, and I didn’t need to wallow anymore.
“Well, I know you’ll want to get back up the mountain later today, so you’re not drinking, so I will have a drink for you. Because I’m so darn happy for you.” Annabelle kissed me on the cheek, then Paige did the same, and I held my sisters close.
“I love you both. Even though you guys got married and decided to find very hot bearded men on your own, I understand. You also made me an uncle, so I guess I’ll let that slide.”