Me: No. Not yet.
Trick: Not yet. Smart man. You know it’s coming.
Me: She’ll come around.
Trick: Are you sure you want to go through with this? You can just get a quickie divorce. She won’t care.
Me: It’s already all over the news. Everyone knows.
Trick: So?
I didn’t want to admit to him how important it was to me to save face. Maybe I was being stubborn, but I didn’t want to fail at this. I’d honor my commitment to her. Help her get her kitchen up and running. Then we’d part as friends. It was a perfect plan.
Trick: Are you bringing her to Big Deck’s engagement party?
Me: I haven’t asked her yet.
Honestly, I’d just assumed she’d be there. As soon as Ethan had proposed, Becca and Scarlett swooped in and started planning the event. It would be small but a fun night if they had anything to say about it.
“Oh. It’s you.” Scarlett stood in the kitchen as I walked inside, tucking my phone away.
“It’s me.”
“What...”
“I’m moving in. I hope you don’t mind. The wife and I need to be together. You know, for appearances.”
Scarlett frowned, then took her bottom lip between her teeth. “Well, that makes this a little easier, then.”
“Makes what easier?” Becca said, bounding down the stairs. Her face was freshly scrubbed, free of makeup, and her cheeks were a bright pink. I loved how her eyes sparkled and the spray of freckles across the bridge of her nose was visible.
“I’m moving out.”
“What?” The hurt in Becca’s voice had me wishing I could pull her in for an embrace. Wait, no. I didn’t want to hug my wife. I had no interest in this being more than what it was. Us helping each other.
“I just need to spend some time on my own. You making this choice with Taylor, marrying him like you did, showed me exactly why. I’m missing out on too much being so sheltered here. I need to live a little.”
“Scar—”
“I’m not trying to upset you, but it’s the truth. You and Clara protected me from everything. It’s time for me to see more of the world. I can’t stay safe in our little bakery bubble all the time. So this is the perfect opportunity.”
“Where are you going?”
She shrugged. “I’m leasing the apartment above the bakery. I set it up last week. I’m moving in two days.”
Becca let out a little squeak of protest. “Two days? You’ve known about this for a week?”
Scarlett nodded. “It’s not like I could tell you. Not when you were off getting married without talking to me. Now the two of you can have the house to yourselves.”
I didn’t mind that at all, aside from the fact that it clearly hurt Becca to know her sister was leaving. I might’ve fucked up a lot more than I thought by springing this on Tink.
They went quiet, both of them looking away, refusing to talk about the elephant in the room... me.
“Oh, look... cinnamon buns. I love cinnamon.”
I reached for one, and Becca let out a soft huff. “Too bad they’re not cardamom.”
9