Chapter Thirty-One
DEE
Two Weeks Later
Colt’s been spending a lot of time with Macy and Caleb.
After wrapping up his interviews or photo shoots, he heads straight over to their place to spend the evenings with his son.
I’ve been staying home, telling myself it’s to give them space and to let them bond without Colt feeling like he has to divide his attention.
Caleb deserves that time with his father.
But truthfully? I stay away because I don’t know where I fit into that picture anymore.
Anna’s been coming over most days to keep me company while I work on the band’s PR. She chats, rocks Aston in his stroller, and does her best to distract me. And I try, I try so damn hard to be the supportive wife Colt needs me to be, but the truth is, I feel like a ghost in my own marriage.
Colt’s happy—glowing even.
And me? I’m hollow.
We’re newlyweds, but you wouldn’t know it.
I see him in the mornings, and some nights, he comes home after dinner, but even then, it’s late.
Our conversations are short, his attention is tired, and I’m left holding pieces of a life I thought we were building together.
I feel like I’m losing him one quiet night at a time.
And the worst part? I’m not even putting up a fight.
Somewhere deep inside, I’ve already convinced myself it’s over. That I’ve already lost.
“Hey,” Anna says, snapping her fingers to pull me from the fog. “Are you even here with me right now?”
I blink at her from across the kitchen table, where I’ve been mindlessly scrolling on my laptop. “I don’t know where I am, Anna,” I admit, my voice flat. “I’m stuck. Lost somewhere in between hope and giving up.”
She reaches across and takes my hand, her other gently rocking Aston’s stroller. “Dee, you’ve got to talk to Colt. He doesn’t know how much you’re hurting if you don’t tell him.”
“I know, but what’s the point?” I say, dragging in a breath. “He needs to be with his son. That’s more important than me right now.”
Anna frowns. “Don’t give me that crap. You’re just as important.”
I shake my head. “I’m not the one who’s sick, Anna. Caleb is. If they don’t find a donor—”
“Then you deal with that if it happens. But in the meantime, your marriage is falling apart, and it is not because of Colt, Dee. It’s because you’re letting it.”
Her words hit me like a slap, but I don’t flinch. I just nod slowly.
“I don’t have the energy to fight. And I know how this ends. How could I ever compete with Jolene?”
Anna stares at me, confused. “Jolene? Like, the song?”
I nod, and she scoffs, half-laughing. “Jesus, Dee. You’re prettier than Macy McCormack by a mile. Colt loves you, you know that. He’s never looked at another woman the way he looks at you.”
“He would’ve stayed with her,” I whisper. “He told me that fact. If he’d known about Caleb, he would’ve stayed. Macy made a mistake, and now she’s trying to make it right. Who am I to get in the way of that?”
Anna’s face softens, and she squeezes my hand harder.
“Stop it. I’ll call Colt myself and tell him what a jerk he’s being.
He needs to be here for you too. I hate this vacant look in your eyes.
I hate what this is doing to you. You’re my best friend and Colt’s wife. Neither of us wants to lose you.”
“You make it sound like I’m going to do something stupid,” I say, trying to lighten the moment, but Anna doesn’t laugh.
She tilts her head and meets my gaze squarely. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. You’re fading, Dee. I know what you’re like when Colt’s not around. I’ve seen you fall apart before, and this? This feels like that again. I’m scared. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You really think I’d—”
“I don’t know what you’d do. But I know the signs. And you’re hanging by a thread right now. Please, Dee. Fight for him. For you.”
I clutch her hand tighter. “I promise, Anna. I’m not going anywhere. I couldn’t do that to you or Colt. No matter how dark it gets, I won’t give up like that. I swear.”
She lets out a shaky breath and pulls me into a hug. We cry together, quiet and heavy with all the words we’ve said and all the ones we haven’t.
“I love you, Dee,” she whispers against my hair. “Talk to him. Please. If you don’t, I will.”
I nod, pulling back and wiping the tears from my cheeks. “I’ll try tonight. It’s his birthday tomorrow. Maybe he’ll want to spend it with me.”
“Of course, he will,” she says.
I don’t answer. I’m not convinced.
“You think he’s avoiding me?”
“I think he doesn’t realize how bad it’s gotten. You’re in this huge house alone with only a dog for company while he’s off playing dad with his ex. It’s not fair. And yeah, you’re miserable, but it’s not all on you. He needs to see it.”
“We haven’t had sex in over two weeks,” I admit, barely above a whisper. “Not since the night I broke down and almost froze to death under the tree.”
Anna winces. “Okay, then tomorrow, you need to pull out all the stops. Make dinner. Wear something that reminds him who the hell he married. Bring him back to you, Dee.”
I nod. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”
“I am right,” she says with a smirk.
Just then, the front door opens, and I quickly swipe under my eyes as we sit back down.
“Tell him,” she whispers, as Colt, Johnny, and Hux walk in, laughing about something from their People Magazine interview. No sign of Dingo.
“Hey, it’s my lady and my little man,” Johnny says, leaning down to kiss Anna. But when he sees her face, his smile fades. “You guys okay? You look… red. Puffy,” he adds, narrowing his eyes.
“Have you been crying?” Colt asks from across the room.
My body goes rigid. This is not how I wanted this to come out.
“No, we were outside… smelling flowers. Got hit with hay fever,” I lie quickly.
Anna snorts beside me and gives me a look that says, Seriously?
“It’s winter,” Hux points out.
“Yeah, weird time, huh?” I mutter, pretending to focus on my laptop. Colt watches me silently, something unreadable in his eyes.
“Hey man, mind if I come to Macy’s with you tonight? I wanna see Caleb,” Hux says, and my stomach sinks. He’s going there again.
“Sure,” Colt replies. “You know Caleb thinks you’re a legend. God knows why.”
“Hey, show me that new riff you were talking about,” Hux adds, then they disappear down the hallway.
My forehead drops to the table with a soft thud.
Johnny pulls out a chair. “Okay, what’s going on? Those two idiots may have bought it, but I didn’t.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say, not lifting my head. “Colt’s happy. Let him stay that way.”
“Seriously?” Anna groans. “Tell him, or I will,” she warns again.
“Tell Colt what?” Johnny asks, eyes narrowing.
“Dee needs him,” Anna blurts. “And she’s not telling him because she thinks she doesn’t matter anymore. She’s convinced Macy is the better fit, and it’s killing her.”
Johnny exhales. “Dee… he thinks you’re okay. He told us you’re busy with work. He doesn’t know you’re hurting.”
“He should damn-well know!” I snap, sitting up. “If he loves me, he should feel it.”
“Who’s hurting?” Colt’s voice slices into the conversation as he walks back in.
I drop my head again, wishing the floor would swallow me whole. “Nothing. No one’s hurting,” I mumble.
Anna pushes to her feet. “For God’s sake, Dee.”
Johnny stands too. “Maybe we should go. You too, Hux.”
Hux frowns. “Nah, I’m good. Colt and I are headed to Macy’s.”
I close my eyes, focusing on keeping it together.
“Maybe Colt should stay home?” Anna suggests.
Hux laughs. “What, and let me go see his son without him? That’d be weird.”
I lift my head and look at Colt. “It’s fine. Go. But Colt… would you maybe have dinner here tomorrow night? For your birthday? Just the two of us?”
He pauses. Then smiles. “I’d love that.”
My heart gives a hopeful little flutter. “Okay,” I say, quietly.
Anna squeezes my shoulder. “Do it, Dee. Talk to him.”
“I will,” I whisper back.
“You want us to stay for dinner?” she asks, eyes narrowed at Colt.
I shake my head. “No, go home. Be with your boy.”
She hugs me tightly again. “When he gets back, tell him.”
I nod, and she gives me one last look before grabbing Johnny’s arm. “Come on, muscles. Let’s take our little man home.”
“Okay, bro, let’s get going. I wanna see my nephew. Kid’s totally awesome,” Hux says, clapping Colt on the shoulder as he strides toward the hallway.
“Yeah, wait for me in the car. I’ll just be a sec,” Colt replies, his eyes cutting to me with intent.
Hux looks between us and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah… just don’t take forever, Romeo,” he mutters, heading outside and shutting the door behind him.
Colt crosses the room and lowers himself into the chair beside me, close enough that I feel the heat of his body.
My gaze lifts to meet his, and for just a second, I have to shut my eyes.
He’s so painfully beautiful it makes my chest ache.
Even now, drowning in heartache, he still makes my pulse skip with a single look.
“You okay?” he asks softly, reaching for my hand.
I force a smile and nod, but he doesn’t buy it.
“You don’t look okay,” he says, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his touch gentle but firm. He knows me too well.
“I’m fine,” I lie, willing myself to sound convincing. “Go spend time with your family. When you get home, we’ll have your birthday together… just us. As husband and wife.”
His mouth quirks up at the corner, a subtle grin that still carries the weight of his exhaustion.
“I know I’ve been spending a lot of time with Mace and the kid.
It’s just, he’s a great little man. Even with everything he’s going through, he’s got this spark, you know?
Being around him, it’s easy to forget how sick he really is.
I think…” He pauses, glancing at me like he’s searching for permission to say the words. “I think I kinda love him.”
The confession hits me hard.
I bite down on my bottom lip to stop it from trembling.
Of course, he loves his son.
He should.
That’s not the part that stings.