Chapter Nineteen
SHE DOESN'T WANT TO be beautiful for her ex.
It takes a while for that to sink in, but when it finally does...
My palms come away from the mirror. I take a step back. Then another. My chest doesn't feel as tight, and when I look at Nicole, it's no longer with the eyes of a man made crazy by jealousy.
And that's why, this time I notice that her hair has been finger-combed too many times, and that she's a lot paler than usual.
It makes me think of a surefire way of bringing color to her cheeks, but since I know by now how seriously Nicole takes her wedding vows, never mind if the man she married is her exact opposite and thinks of their marriage as nothing but a piece of paper—
"We still have time," I tell her.
"For what?"
She has her answer ten minutes later, when the boutique's stylist comes in to blowdry her hair and add an artificial touch of pink to her cheeks. By the time the stylist is done, Heidi and Judy are nodding with approval, but only after looking at me knowingly, which I decide to ignore.
"You look beautiful," Heidi says with a smile.
"I won't be surprised if your husband wants you back," Judy adds.
I fight against the urge to cover Nicole's ears. The nurse's words are exactly why I believe they don't know anything at all. Only an idiot would even mention something like that to Nicole. Don't they know how tenderhearted she is?
The two women are still filling Nicole's head with nonsense when Jeanne Barbers arrives.
Blonde. Blowdried. Smiling.
She's one of Charlotte's top family lawyers, and she enjoys working pro bono once in a while, if the case is interesting enough. Most people misjudge her for being the classic dumb blonde, and it’s the reason why those same people lose when they face her in court. I have a feeling Pettyfer and his lawyer won’t be any different.
"We finally meet," the older woman says with a smile. "And as much as I wish we had time to get to know each other properly—"
Her expression turns serious.
"We have much to discuss."
We move to the seating area, but Heidi and Judy beat me to the couch, and they end up flanking Nicole on each side.
What the hell?
I’m glad they care about Nicole a lot, but so do I, dammit. I’m sorely tempted to remind them whose payroll they’re on, but...Jeanne’s started talking, and so I’ll have to take the high road for now.
“Mr. Pettyfer has agreed to meet us halfway. We expedite the divorce proceedings, and in return, he agrees to a divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences.”
Jeanne goes on to add that the negotiations include Pettyfer signing a non-disclosure to keep all matters regarding the marriage and its termination completely confidential.
“So...there’s nothing to worry about then?” Nicole asks uncertainly.
“Not quite.” Jeanne’s lips purse. “In my experience, people in Mr. Pettyfer's situation don't request this type of meeting for any good reason.
So please be on your guard...and allow me to respond on your behalf as much as possible.
" She glances at her watch. “It’s about time we leave. Do you have any other questions? Are we all set?”
Instead of answering, Nicole looks at me, which doesn't seem to surprise anyone...
Except myself.
My chest tightens as she continues looking at me. I feel like a damn coward again, not even wanting to make an attempt to understand what her eyes want to tell me. And it seems she senses this—
"W-Will you wait for me?"
I know I’ve made a mistake the moment she speaks.
I shouldn't have forced her to say those words in front of everyone. It's made her vulnerable when I should've been man enough to be vulnerable for her first.
If I could turn back time, I would have.
But since I can't—
"I'll wait for you for as long as it takes."