Max huffed out a humorless laugh. “I lied. We were meeting to sign our divorce papers. I can’t believe you bought that, by the way. That was the shittiest lie I think I’ve ever told.”
Julia’s brain was moving several steps behind her ears. “Wait. You’re separated, as in you’re not married. As in you are single. As in I’m not a homewrecker?”
“Of course you’re not a homewrecker, Jules.”
“So why you still wearing the ring?”
“It’s stuck on my finger. I can’t take it off.”
“So get it removed at a fire station or something.”
“I…can’t right now.”
Alarm bells clanged through her abused brain. “Are you just saying you’re divorced so I don’t show up at your house and cook a rabbit on your stove?”
Max’s face slackened. “You think I’m lying?”
“I think the whole ‘my wife and I are separated but I wear the ring and we live at the same house thing’ is a bit of a coincidence, yeah.”
“We don’t live together. Bonnie’s been living with her new boyfriend for about six months.”
“New boyfriend?”
“She’s been with him for more than a year.”
Blood pounded in Julia’s ears. “When you said you weren’t aware you had an open relationship do you mean she was cheating on you?”
Max shrugged. “Yeah, she was.”
“Bonnie had the side piece?”
He frowned. “Why does that surprise you?”
Julia stared at him. “Why? Maybe because she used to call herselfMrs. Max Connor.”
He winced. “I forgot about that.”
“Yeah, maybeyouhave.”
Every time Bonnie called herself Mrs. Max Connor, Julia felt like someone was punching her in the boobs. It was ownership and possession at once, a declaration that Max was so utterly hers they shared a fucking name. How could that woman havecheated?
Max walked to the nearest wall and slid down the concrete, landing with a soft thump beside the speakers. “Come over here and let’s talk about this.”
Julia followed suit, sliding down the wall. Her body brushed against Max’s and both of them moved away.
“You do believe me, don’t you, Julia? I would never cheat on anyone. Especially not with you.”
“Why? Aren’t I someone you cheat on your wife with?”
“That’s not an insult. I don’t think you’re the type of girl who’d screw around with a married guy.”
Julia felt her cheeks wordlessly contradict her and turned away.
“Anyway,” Max continued. “Bonnie wasn’t happy so she found someone else. Happens every day.”
“Yeah, but she was married toyou.”
Max’s brows rose. “What do you mean?”