“That’s some real soap opera shit, Colt.”
A tiny huff escapes my mouth. At first, I don’t recognize it, but it dawns on me that I’ve just laughed. I’ve laughed for the first time in a long time. “Understatement,” I say.
“So, what happened to her?”
“A car accident. We had a big fight because she was cheating on me, again.” A swirl of conflicting emotions cyclone through me. I’ve never told anyone this story, and with Nova, it’s like she’s melted my guard to the ground. “Nothing I did was ever good enough for her, and I tried, Nova.” I meet Nova’s blue eyes, grateful to get this off my chest. “Because she lived her life in search of the next best thing, and I would never be it.”
“Did you ever love her?”
“A long time ago, yes.” I say, then backtrack. “I think. How about you?”
“Yeah,” she says, then furrows her brow. “No, that’s not exactly true. I loved the prospect of my ex, but not him.”
Nova and I stare at each other. The silence stretches between us, and all I can think about is what it would feel like to kiss her. How even though we’ve had two failed marriages between us, perhaps we could find love in each other?