Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Come on, Audrey, it’ll be fun. We could both use a little retail therapy right now. Or a lot—who knows? Common Thread does tend to have really awesome deals.”
Audrey smiled at Penelope, who was walking beside her.
The two friends had arranged to go shopping at Common Thread together, one of Coral Sands’ clothing boutiques.
Audrey had mentioned to Penelope that she needed more sweaters, especially as winter was approaching, and Penelope had insisted that they go shopping together.
Although Audrey was feeling grateful for her friend and she was looking forward to picking out new clothes, she felt bogged down emotionally because of Clark.
The text he’d sent her about pursuing legal action if she didn’t hand over the grandfather clock had rattled her badly.
She wanted to be fun and make sure that Penelope had a good time, but she was having trouble staying cheery under the circumstances.
“Thanks, Penelope. I’m sure it’ll be great. I’m just tired.”
“You’re not tired, you’re tired of thinking about your ex. As you should be—he’s not worth wasting brain space on. Come on, let’s have a great time and forget all men for a while—and yes, that includes Evan.”
Audrey laughed. She didn’t think she wanted to forget all about Evan, since he had been the one thing in her life lately that allowed her to feel totally relaxed.
Even spending time with Elaine and Michelle wasn’t quite the same.
Evan made her feel safe and at ease. She did, however, want to forget all about Clark.
“Taking a break from thinking about men is fine with me,” she said. “Although I want to get your opinion on how I look in the color emerald green, since it might be a certain person’s favorite color.”
“Mm, I’ll let that slide even though I’m pretty sure you just broke the rules,” Penelope said with a wink. “Sure.”
“I’m sorry I’m such a blob lately,” Audrey said with a sigh. “I was down when we got dinner with Harper and I still am.”
Penelope shook her head emphatically. “You have every right to be a blob right now—or a spikey little hedgehog or whatever else you feel like you need to be. You’re dealing with a lot.
Not everyone can repress their emotions and act like everything is totally fine when it totally isn’t the way I can. ”
Audrey laughed and hugged her friend. “You can’t ever fool me. I know you’re still struggling with your situation too. And I’m sorry. Has it gotten any better?”
Penelope shook her head with a sigh. “Not really—Robert is still refusing to sign the divorce papers. Although I haven’t brought it up with him that many times because he’s also still avoiding me.
But overall, I feel better. Now that I’ve actually made the decision on my end, I feel lighter.
It still makes me sad, but that dilemma was weighing me down and causing me a lot of sleepless nights.
Now I don’t have to worry about it anymore, at least not in the same way.
I just have to worry about how to convince my husband to become my ex-husband. ”
Audrey grimaced. “Good luck. Keep me posted, will you? And remember that I’m here for you—whether you need someone to vent to or even if you feel like you need a place to stay. We’ve got an empty room at The Birchwood House this weekend and you’d be absolutely welcome to stay there for free.”
“Wow, just one room free? You guys are really booked up. That’s awesome.
” Penelope fist-bumped Audrey before tugging open the front door of Common Thread.
“And thanks for the offer, but if I moved out, it would be totally impossible for me to get in touch with Robert. Waiting up for him in the kitchen seems to be the only chance I ever get to say anything to him at all.” She sighed.
“Hey.” Audrey wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulder and gave her a sideways hug. “No men right now, remember? Just us and clothes and having fun.”
The friends began to peruse the clothing racks together, and Audrey found that it was much easier to forget about Clark than she’d thought it would be.
Her attention was immediately captivated by a white sweater that had pink flowers sewn across the lower half of the torso.
It was just the right combination of whimsical and fashionable, and it looked as though it would fit her perfectly.
She held onto it, determined to try it on.
She and Penelope continued to shop, getting more and more swept up in the fun of it.
Penelope found a pair of black leather pants that she declared she was going to wear on their next girls’ night out, and Audrey found a pair of hot pink heels, declaring she would join Penelope in making bold fashion choices for the occasion.
Penelope picked out a red dress, a white leather belt, and two knit hats, and in addition to the pink and white sweater, Audrey found a perfect emerald green sweater that she knew Evan would love, a light blue sweater that was as soft as a cloud, a pair of fleece pajama pants with little purple cats printed all over them, and a pair of black fleece-lined leggings.
“We’ve got quite the haul,” Audrey said cheerfully as she and Penelope were exiting the shop. “You’re going to look amazing in those black leather pants, Penelope. I’m going to text Harper and try to plan our next night out together.”
She pulled her phone from her pocket, but her smile vanished as soon as she saw the screen. Clark—who she had in fact managed to forget about for a blissful forty-five minutes—had sent her another text.
“What is it?” Penelope asked, instantly sounding protective, like a bulldog starting to growl. “Did Clark text you again?”
“Yeah.” Audrey swallowed. “This is the second text he’s sent me today.
Both of his texts tell me that I have to give him the grandfather clock or he’s going to take legal action.
” Tears rushed into her eyes, sudden and hot.
She tried to conceal them from Penelope but she couldn’t keep the wobble out of her voice.
“I’m scared I’m going to have to give in to him, and he’ll take that clock away from me. My grandmother loved it so much.”
“He’s going to do no such thing,” Penelope said darkly.
“That man has absolutely taken enough away from you already. I won’t hear of it.
Besides, it absolutely belongs in the hotel.
It’s meant to be in the front hallway. It looks like it was built to be there—or the house was built to surround it. One or the other.”
Audrey smiled weakly. “Thanks, Penelope.” She was doing her best to hold it together, but she felt terrified and the tears kept threatening to spill out of her eyes.
“Come on, let’s get you home,” Penelope said, wrapping an arm around Audrey. “You go back to the mansion and show your new goodies to Michelle. That’ll help take your mind off this. Just text Clark back tomorrow and tell him to go jump in the ocean.”
Audrey laughed weakly. They walked back to the hotel and she hugged Penelope goodbye on the sidewalk.
“Let me know how everything goes with Robert,” she said.
“I will,” Penelope promised.
Audrey started up the walkway to the mansion, doing her best not to break down crying.
She didn’t want to alarm any guests who might be spending time in the parlor or the front entryway.
She stepped inside the front door, intending to hurry straight upstairs to her room to have a good sob on her bed, when she let out a gasp.
“Evan!”
A second later she was in his arms, and then she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. She cried as he held her tightly, rocking her back and forth and stroking her hair.
“Hey, hey. You’re okay,” he said soothingly. “Audrey. Did something happen? I just stopped over to see if we could get dinner together tonight. I didn’t realize you needed me or I would have come sooner.”
Audrey inhaled, feeling a rush of gratitude for him.
“I didn’t know I needed you until just a little while ago,” she said, sniffling.
She glanced into the parlor and was relieved to see that it was empty of guests.
At least no one had witnessed her breakdown besides her compassionate boyfriend.
“And I’ll be okay in a little bit, I’m sure, but right now I’m completely overwhelmed by my emotions about this entire situation. ”
“What situation? With Clark?” His voice was low, sounding like a growl.
She nodded. “He just sent me another text threatening to take legal action. I’m just so rattled. I’m worried he really is going to try something like that and that it’s going to work.”
Evan held her tightly. “It’s not. We’re going to make it through this. You’re not dealing with it alone. You have me and your mom and Michelle. And we’re not going to let Clark win.”
She inhaled shakily and offered him a watery smile. “Thanks, sweetheart.”
“I have your back no matter what,” he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
“I don’t think that Clark really will take legal action—I think he’s just threatening it, hoping you’ll cave—but even if he does, we will figure it out together.
You have plenty of legal claim over that clock, I’m absolutely sure of that. ”
Audrey sighed and wiped tears off her cheeks.
“Okay. You’re right. I shouldn’t let myself fret too much.
I need to be ready to fight Clark on this—he won’t be expecting it.
He’ll be expecting me to just roll over and let him have what he wants, but I’m not that person anymore.
I’m going to fight with everything in me and make sure he never gets this clock.
” She looked fondly at the grandfather clock, which was gleaming in the colored light streaming in through the front hallway’s stained-glass windows.
“That’s right, get those boxing gloves on.” He kissed her nose.
She was about to ask him if they could go sit on the couch together for a while when she felt her phone ringing in her pocket.
She felt a jolt, wondering if it was Clark, and then smiled when she realized that if it was, she’d be able to answer on speaker phone and let Evan take charge of the situation.
It wasn’t Clark, however. It was Penelope, and Audrey felt a flash of intuition.
“I’m sorry, I need to take this,” she told Evan, touching his arm. “I’ll be right back.”
He nodded, understanding, and Audrey slipped outside onto the front porch.
“Hey,” she said, making her way to the porch swing and sitting down on the cushions. “Did something happen?”
“Yeah.” Penelope’s voice was shaky with tears for a moment, and then she steadied it. “I just got home, and there was something waiting for me on the kitchen table.”
Audrey swallowed, knowing in her gut what was coming next. “The divorce papers?”
“Yeah.” Penelope let out a long sigh. “He signed them. Didn’t leave a note or anything. No text. No, ‘Hey, I’m sorry it didn’t work out the way we vowed to each other that one time in front of all of our friends and family members.’”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Audrey said, shaking her head. “I know that must be so hard, even though it was what you were asking him to do. Divorce is painful. How are you feeling about it?”
Penelope paused for a few seconds, and Audrey could just picture the alert, curious expression that Penelope always got on her face when she was thinking.
“It is painful, you’re right, but these last several years have been painful.
And heartbreaking. I really didn’t want things to turn out this way.
But oddly enough, what I feel right now more than anything is relief.
It’s done now. No more decision, no more having to deal with chasing down Robert to get answers to basic questions.
No more feeling ignored and unimportant all the time.
It was a long time coming, and I think things are just going to get better for me from here. Hopefully they get better for him too.”
“Hopefully,” Audrey agreed. “And I can guarantee that they’ll get better for you.
Me and Harper are going to stand beside you and make sure you’re supported while you’re dealing with this.
You’ve been extremely brave, Penelope. You made hard choices because you knew you had to, and you’re going to make a better life for yourself. I know you are.”
“Thanks, Audrey. That means so much to me. Right now, I feel pretty okay. I feel bad for Robert a little bit, but not too much because I really do think he hardly even cares about our marriage. That man is so totally focused on himself.”
Audrey grimaced. “I know what it’s like to have to deal with a man who’s thinking only of himself. You’re going to be so much happier moving forward, once the pain of the divorce fades.”
“I feel lighter already,” Penelope admitted.
“Good.” Audrey smiled. “You’re going to get through this, Penelope. Everything is going to be fine.”
They talked for a few more minutes, and then Penelope said that she should call her mother and Harper.
They said an affectionate goodbye and hung up.
Audrey tucked her phone into her pocket and stared out across the yard of The Birchwood House, getting lost in thought.
She knew she should go back inside and talk with her boyfriend, who was waiting for her, but her mind was full of thoughts and emotions.
I know I should take some of that confidence that I just tried to bestow on Penelope and give it to myself, she thought, shaking her head.
But is everything in my situation going to turn out just fine?
I feel so worried that Clark is going to take the clock and hurt me yet again. I thought he was done hurting me.
She inhaled, feeling a rush of sadness. After it came, however, she felt a glimmer of hope.
Clark didn’t have the power over her that he used to.
She wasn’t married to him anymore, and she didn’t love him anymore.
And just like how Penelope wouldn’t be alone as she faced her divorce, Audrey wasn’t alone as she faced Clark’s threats.
She smiled quietly to herself and stood up.
She was going to go back inside and spend time with her boyfriend, who made her feel safe and supported.
Then she was going to show her daughter all of the fun items she’d bought at Common Thread, and then she was going to eat a delicious dinner with her family, in the home that they’d created together.
Those were the kinds of things that meant the world to her, and Clark couldn’t take a single one of them away from her.