Chapter 27
Warren Atwell’s Legal Briefs: A prenuptial agreement can alleviate many misunderstandings later.
The cabin door's soft creak woke me from a dead sleep. When Avery passed out from our lovemaking, I cleaned her up, placed a dry sheet underneath us, and climbed into bed with her. Did I have regrets about telling her how I felt about her?
No.
I took a beat and scanned my body and feelings.
No regrets.
Not one.
It felt more like a relief or a release.
I did not realize how much pressure had been building on my soul until that pivotal instant when everything shifted.
It was a slow simmer, an invisible weight pressing down on me day by day.
I moved through my routine, brushing aside the signs, convincing myself that I was fine, yet deep inside, a storm was brewing.
Then, one day, you find it hard to breathe, your stomach is in knots, and you cannot think straight.
You do not know why at first.
I now knew why.
I had been carrying these feelings for Avery for a long time, and to have it out in the open released me from that self-made cage of stress.
I blew out a big breath, engaging my diaphragm to exhale all the air in my lungs, then took a deep breath as I stretched my arms overhead. I felt renewed. Alive!
The only thing missing was my wife.
Wife.
I smiled. Although I knew she did not return my sentiment last night, perhaps I would grow on her.
Like mold.
I shook my head.
No. Like. Love.
Perhaps she would grow to love me. I knew she was close. I could see the struggle on her face as I told her my truth. She wanted to say it back.
She loved me but was not ready to voice the words aloud.
I hopped out of bed and did another big stretch, reaching for the sky with my fingers while standing on tiptoes. Swinging my arms down, I folded over to brush the ground, then swung back into the stretch, breathing through it all.
When we returned to Pleasure Point, perhaps she would like to move in with me. I knew she lived in an apartment above The Grinding, next door to the Pleasure Point Network, but those apartments were small and cramped. I had plenty of room for her.
I would make room for her in my life.
If she wanted, I would turn the guest room into her office.
Or, she could have my yoga studio, and I would build something in the yard. Maybe a tiny house?
Did not matter right now. What mattered was finding her and telling her my plan.
I glanced at the clock and frowned. It was getting late. Maybe she went to grab us breakfast?
I hummed a tune as I hurried around the cabin, setting everything to rights and making room for our feast at the dining table.
Avery’s clothes were everywhere, but then again, I did not exactly stop to fold anything up last night, either.
I chuckled and straightened up the discarded clothing.
Avery still had not shown up, so I dressed for the day.
That would give us a head start when she returned with breakfast.
Another ten minutes passed. Where was she?
Maybe she was waiting for me up at the lodge? That must be it. She was giving me time to sleep in and rest. So thoughtful of her. I would meet her there. I grabbed the cabin key and locked it up, whistling as I sauntered through the forest to the main cabin.
Sauntered.
I had never sauntered a day in my life, but today, with the rest of my life stretching before me, I was sauntering.
I liked it.
The sauntering and whistling ended abruptly when I reached the main cabin and found Avery and Jack with their heads together. She laughed at something he said and playfully slapped him on the shoulder. I did not miss the arm flex he did in response to that.
I cleared my throat. “Avery?”
Her head whipped up. Guilt was written all over her face, and my stomach plunged. What the hell was I thinking? The rest of my life. She did not care for me the same way. I shared my truth with her last night, and not 12 hours later, she was flirting with another man.
A married man.
“Hey, Warren,” Avery drawled as she bounded down the cabin's steps.
No Mr. Man, no My Man, No Honey Bunches Of Oats, or any number of ridiculous things she called me. Not even ByTheBook.
Just. Warren.
“Good morning.” I went to kiss her, but she turned her head, and my kiss landed on her cheek. Pressure began to rebuild in my chest. “I missed you when I woke up.”
She patted my shoulder. “I figured you’d like a little more sleep, considering all the activity from last night.”
I nodded slowly. “What were you and Jack talking about?”
“Oh!” Avery brightened. “Jack let me borrow his cell phone. I was able to call roadside assistance. They’ll be here in about fifteen minutes to fill up the car, then we’re free to go!”
My stomach plunged. What an idiot. How could I have thought someone like Avery would ever fall in love with someone like me?
She was more suited for Jack. A man who did not think twice about jumping out of a plane or protecting people against terrorists.
Not someone who had to fold all of his socks a certain way before he could sleep at night.
I was fooling myself, thinking a free spirit like Avery would love a robot.
“Well, that sounds like a plan,” I said.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Avery continued. “But I have a lot of work to get back to. I already talked to Gerald and Zelda. They’ll miss us, but they understand.”
A rock lodged in my throat as I considered my wife - my soon-to-be-ex-wife - because there was no doubt in my mind that she would file an annulment when we returned to Pleasure Point. And perhaps that was for the best.
“Fine. That is fine. I shall say my farewell to Gerald, then,” I said, pressing past her and not waiting for a response.