Chapter 9 #2
Glancing at Vance, I saw he was already looking at me and nodded.
“I’ll be in around nine,” I said.
His mouth pulled up a little on one side, his eyes warm. “I’ll be there.”
I liked his promise more than I cared to admit.
The thought of seeing him again so soon sent a shiver of expectation through me.
Something I had no right to feel. This divorce must be affecting me more than I thought.
Or maybe my sudden difficulties with the English language were also affecting my brain.
Thankfully, Marty, Keely’s neighbor, chose that moment to join us. He stopped next to me, putting his hand on my arm. “Mae, hi. It’s so good to see you again.” He turned to the group with his endearing smile.
His shaggy blond hair was long overdue for a cut, standing up every which way.
But it suited him, just like his shorts and T-shirt.
I’d never seen him wear anything else. He worked from home for some tech company and rarely went to the office.
He’d tried explaining what he did when we first met at a BBQ at Keely’s, but I’d asked Cockalorum for a divorce a few days earlier and had been a little preoccupied.
But he was a nice guy, and I was determined to erase my bad first impression. “Hi, Marty. How are you?”
He shot me a megawatt smile and stepped closer. I backed up, fighting the urge to yell out “personal space” the same way I had to do for my girls. The move made me bump into Vance, who’d moved to the side when Marty joined us, bringing him right next to me.
Should I take a step forward again, or stay where I am? A warm hand settled on my back, and I stilled. Why did I care about personal space again?
Vance held out his free hand, the movement turning him into me. “I’m Vance.”
He shook hands with Marty, who watched us with interest. “Are you and Mae…?”
My cheeks heated as my breathing stalled. “Oh, he’s my lawyer. Not because I did something illegal.” A nervous chuckle burst out of me. “I mean, he’s my divorce lawyer. For my divorce that I told you about last time.”
Holy moly, why am I so awkward?
Marty’s smile, which had dimmed, came back in full force. He could be in a toothpaste commercial, his teeth perfectly straight and blindingly white. “Are you still planning on moving? Let me know when. I can borrow a truck from my uncle so you don’t have to hire anyone.”
Malena’s and Keely’s narrowed eyes homed in on me.
I hadn’t told them I was moving. I hadn’t told anyone, not even my girls.
They’d be devastated since they’d lived in the house their whole lives.
Marty only knew because I’d mentioned the house being too big for the three of us in conversation, and he gave me the number for one of his real estate agent friends, who I’d called that same day.
The friend must have talked since my house was about to go on the market.
I had no money to hire a moving company and grasped the lifeline he’d thrown me. I’d worry about the consequences later. “Thanks so much for the offer. That would be—”
Vance seemingly had other ideas, his hand on my back pressing in. “Not necessary.”
I turned my head to the side to be able to look at him, but his expression wasn’t giving anything away. “It isn’t?”
He didn’t look at me, his attention on Marty. “We’ve got it sorted.”
I frowned, not quite following. “We do?”
He didn’t answer, and instead moved his arm so it nearly curved around me.
Malena put her hands on her waist, her game face on. “Mae, I think there’s something you failed to mention to your best friends.”
Marty chuckled nervously and held up his hands. “That’s my cue to go. Great to see you again, Mae. Let me know if you need help.”
“She won’t,” Vance answered for me.
I was too busy preparing for the yelling that was sure to follow from Malena and Keely to take offense at him answering for me.
Keely’s arms were crossed, one eyebrow raised. “Talk.”
“The house is too big for me and the girls.”
“Bullshit,” Malena shot back.
Keely tilted her head, clearly not buying it either. They both knew how much I loved that house. They’d helped me paint the walls and went to countless homeware stores with me to make it perfect. But it was my excuse for anyone who asked why I was selling it.
“Try again.”
I swallowed down the embarrassment and forced the lump in my throat to move before meeting their gazes. I saw hurt, but also pity. And the second was something I never wanted to see. I’d had enough of it ever since Cockalorum had left me. “I can’t afford the mortgage.”
The words came out raspy, my voice cracking at the end. It was hard enough admitting it to my friends, but Vance hearing it made it a million times more humiliating.
Keely’s arms dropped to her sides, her mouth gaping open. “He left you with the mortgage? When he knew you didn’t have a job?”
Biting my lip, I shrugged. “He said since he wasn’t living there anymore, he wasn’t going to pay.”
Vance went still beside me, but his hand remained on my back.
Malena shook her head. “Why didn’t you say something? We’re your friends. We could have helped you.” She reached out and took one of my hands in both of hers. “How much do you owe?”
“Too much. But if I sell, I’ll be able to get out of debt and then give Hank whatever’s left over.”
“Give him what’s left over?” Keely’s voice climbed higher with each word. “He cheated on his wife and left her with a mortgage he knew she wouldn’t be able to pay. That tells me he didn’t care if his kids would be able to eat or not. And you’re saying you’ll give him the money?”
I hadn’t always been such a doormat. But this was what would keep the peace, so the peace I would keep. “I can’t risk him taking me back to court. I can’t risk him taking the kids away from me. And his name is on the title.”
Malena tightened her hold on my hand. “There’s more to this than you’re telling us.”
Keely held up her hand. “Let’s burn that bridge once we get to it.
” I couldn’t help but snort at her craziness.
Unperturbed by my amusement of her use of English idioms, she continued.
“For now, we need to sort out this housing issue. Then we’ll deal with the reason why Mae is keeping things to herself.
” She fixed me with her lawyer glare that could make grown men cry.
“And I know you want them with you because you love them, but lots of couples share custody without any issues. So you could do the same. No judge would give him full custody for no reason.”
This wasn’t something I was ready to discuss at a party. And definitely not in front of Vance. “It’s too late to change anything now. The house is being put on the market at the end of next week, and we’re moving into the apartment the weekend after.”
“Apartment? There’s only one apartment complex that I know of in Butler.” Keely’s voice held a hint of suspicion and a whole lot of questions.
I sighed. “The kids love their school and daycarel. I love living close to you guys. And my job is here. It was the only place we could afford in Butler.”
Malena released my hand and cursed up a storm in Spanish. I didn’t need to know the language to understand how upset she was. This was why I didn’t want to have this conversation until I’d moved. They’d try and talk me out of it.
And there was no other option. I’d thought about it nonstop since realizing I was stuck with a mortgage I had no hope of paying.
Keely gritted her teeth. “You can always borrow money until you get back on your feet. You know I won’t miss it.”
“Keely, I love you for offering, but you’re already doing too much. I can’t ask that of you.”
“Bullshit. Of course you can. You should know that we’ll always be there for each other.” She let out a frustrated huff. “I need a drink.” Waving at Malena, she turned on her heels. “You talk some sense into her. I’m only going to start yelling.”
She stalked off, and I deflated.
Vance’s hand moved gently on my back, and I startled, having forgotten he was still half holding me.
Ignoring how much support the small contact gave me, I took a deep breath and faced my angry friend.
“I’m sorry, Malena. But you know that I can’t keep asking you guys for help.
And I’d have to borrow a hell of a lot of money to be able to rent a house.
Money that I’d need years to pay back. And I don’t want to put that sort of pressure on our friendship. ”
Not when I already owed Keely a lot of money since she was paying for my lawyer. Who I’d found out was one of the highest paid in the industry. And who was currently listening to how messy my life was.
“I get it. I really do. But those apartments…”
“I have Winston and Orange. Nobody is going to get past them.”
“So a lazy dog and a moody cat are going to be your only protection?”
“Oh look, Addy waved at me. I think she needs me.”
Before either of them could call me out on my lie, I’d extricated myself from Vance.
Speed-walking over to my daughter, who was busy playing with her friends, I told her we were leaving.
I then collected Elana, who was still hanging around the grill, watching Thad and reminding him to turn the sausages so they wouldn’t get too black.
I said a quick goodbye to my friends, making sure I had my girls with me so they wouldn’t start lecturing me again.
It was only when I drove home that I realized Vance hadn’t said a single word in the whole exchange.