Chapter 25
PENNY
Something happened in Penny’s brain moments after Royce left.
It was like everything went quiet and loud all at once. She could feel his loss even though they were technically still married.
And what had she expected?
He couldn’t fight for her forever. She didn’t want him to. And yet she had never felt more alone in her life than she did now.
She went through the rest of the day in a complete daze.
Nothing Shelly said seemed to register, and only after her secretary had to repeat herself for the dozenth time did Penny finally listen and go home.
The apartment was empty, but there were still signs that she’d once shared it with someone else. There were moments when she could have sworn she could smell him.
That didn’t make sense, though.
He hadn’t been in her place in over a week.
Before she’d gotten married, she liked sleeping in the center of her bed, sprawled out like a starfish. Now she curled up on her side as if she expected Royce to come back at any second and take his side of the bed again.
Maybe her mind was going.
It would make sense seeing as she couldn’t keep anything down. It wasn’t for lack of trying. She’d never been this sick for this long in her entire life.
Penny knew why, too.
The stress of losing the one person who seemed to know her like no one else was making her body revolt.
What if she gave in?
What if she stopped trying to be noble and admitted the truth she’d been fighting all week?
Would Royce ever be able to trust her again?
She knew better than to believe it would be that easy.
At every turn, she’d pushed him away. It didn’t matter if she’d thought she had good reason. She’d still hurt him.
The following day at work, she got a call from her lawyer. She stared at the caller ID with a new sort of trepidation. She considered not answering it and letting it go to voicemail. Then she reached for the phone while lecturing herself that this was what she wanted.
She’d paid for it.
She wasn’t going to avoid it simply because it wasn’t what she wanted deep down.
After a few pleasantries, her lawyer got down to business. “The paperwork is done. It’s cut and dried. Sorry it took a little longer to get to it.”
“That’s fine,” Penny said hollowly. “Will you fax it over to me? I’ll take it to Royce after work.”
“Sure thing. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns, and I’ll do any revisions you need.”
She nodded, unable to say much beyond a goodbye when he was done speaking.
Penny had expected the workday to drag like most of the ones before. But today, time seemed to speed up. The hands on the clock raced around the face until Shelly came to the door to notify her she was heading out.
Penny offered her a grateful smile. “Have a good weekend.”
Shelly nodded, hesitated, then shook her head. “You too.”
Then Penny was left alone with her thoughts.
She stared at the folder that contained the documents for her divorce.
There were no assets to split up. No finances or properties they needed to haggle over. The marriage was so short they wouldn’t have any evidence they were even married after these documents were filed.
And why did that not sit well with her?
Why did she suddenly want something she could take with her? Proof that she’d done something for herself for once in her life?
It was a silly notion, and she knew it.
The pride she’d always had in being practical and levelheaded was starting to feel thin. In its place was an idealistic version of herself—one who wanted to be sentimental and follow her heart.
She wanted that so badly it was probably why every step toward ending this marriage hurt so much.
But it wasn’t a mistake.
She just couldn’t tell Royce that, or he’d never move on.
She swiped up the documents and locked her offices. Then she headed out to the Meyers property.
Cowboys were coming and going from the barn, and when they caught sight of her, she could sense the immediate shift in the air. Curiosity. Suspicion. Maybe even irritation.
She glanced at the house, considering whether she should call Royce to have him meet her outside or if she should knock on the door. There was also a chance he was working.
The men lingering at the entrance to the barn watched her too closely. They looked enough like Royce that her heart nearly tripped over itself.
Her chest tightened, and not for the first time, she wanted to curl into a ball and cry.
Why was she so emotional?
People didn’t get this upset over breakups with men they’d only known for a few months. It was maddening how bad this had become.
One of the men finally decided to put her out of her misery and strode toward her. He was familiar. Probably one of the guys who had shown up at her apartment the morning everything fell apart.
“Royce isn’t here,” he said, his eyes dipping to the folder in her hand. “Do you want me to pass anything along to him?”
Her hands tightened on the folder.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to give it to him now that she was here. Maybe it was her unusual emotional state. Or maybe it was the promise Royce had made her.
The next time she told him no, he’d listen.
She couldn’t bring herself to shut the door on this part of her life. Not through someone else.
Penny clutched the folder to her chest. “No. I’d like to see him in person.”
Royce’s brother scratched at the scruff along his jaw thoughtfully. “Well, he’s not staying here right now, and I’m not sure if he’s coming back tonight. Said he was going to run some errands.”
Her breath caught.
He wasn’t staying here?
Where was he?
Had she put him out on the street?
Panic rose in her chest, threatening to bring with it the nausea that had become her only companion. “Where—where is he staying?”
The brother lifted a single brow. “He’s not staying with you?”
The heat in her face was unbearable.
She wanted to scream at him. To point out that she wouldn’t have asked if she knew.
None of this was how she wanted things to go.
She wanted to throw the paperwork at his feet and tell him he was the one responsible for her misery because she couldn’t bear to be the person who came between Royce and his family.
Penny wanted so much in that moment.
But most of all, she wanted just one more day of perfection with her husband. She wanted to remember what it felt like to be loved by him, held by him, and spoken to like she was his whole world.
Just once more before she had to walk away from it all.
“Penny? What are you doing here?”
The brother glanced over her shoulder. She was only vaguely aware that she’d heard the sound of an approaching truck and that it had parked nearby. It was only when she turned to see Royce coming for her that she realized she was crying, still clutching the paperwork.
He stopped short when he saw the folder, then took a stumbling step back.
She could see the devastation that flooded his eyes, replacing the brief relief that had been there moments ago. Then his stare hardened, and he shot a dark look at his brother.
“Lincoln, can you give us a minute?”
Lincoln was at her back now. She couldn’t see his face without turning, but she could sense just how unhappy he was about being told to leave. Penny didn’t relax until she heard his steps retreat.
This was what he’d wanted, wasn’t it?
Lincoln should be thrilled she was here with the paperwork to clean up this whole mess. And yet she didn’t get the sense he was happy at all.
Royce approached. His steps were careful, like he wasn’t sure whether coming closer would make her bolt.
Maybe he was right to wonder.
Penny hugged the file harder to her chest, not ready to relinquish it but not sure where they should go from here.
Her husband stared at the folder for a long moment before slowly lifting his eyes to meet hers. His jaw was set in a tight line, and he fidgeted with his hands before eventually shoving them into his pockets.
“Royce—”
“Wait,” he stammered. “Just—wait.”
She blinked and looked down at her feet. Fighting her tears had become impossible, so she let them fall.
This was it.
This was the moment she’d been dreading even though she’d been the one leading the charge.
Royce cleared his throat and took another step toward her. “One day.”
Her head lifted, and she peered at him in confusion. “What?”
“Just…” He blew out a shaky breath. “Give me one day. With you. Okay?”
She blinked several times. “One day?”
Royce nodded, his eyes brimming with emotion. “Please,” he rasped.
This man wore his heart on his sleeve most days. She could usually tell what he was thinking, how he felt. He’d always been good at speaking his mind. It had been one of the things she adored about him.
Loved about him.
She’d come here with the paperwork. Even after he’d told her he wouldn’t deny her requests anymore. Technically, he wasn’t refusing to sign it. She hadn’t even asked him to.
It was a loophole.
And the relief that washed through her was instant.
“One day,” she said with a small nod. “Yeah. I can do that.”
Royce looked completely shocked. Then he smiled, but that joy faltered almost immediately. He took another step toward her but halted himself and let his hands drop to his sides.
“One day,” he croaked.
“And then…” she whispered.
“Not yet, Penny. Please.” His voice broke around the words. “Let’s not talk about any of that until after.”
“Okay.” She glanced down at the folder in her arms. “I’ll just… hold onto this, then.”
“Okay.”
Penny half expected Royce to ask her to talk a little more or to offer her a hug.
But he held back.
And she hated it.
She hated what their lives had become, even if she still believed she was doing the right thing by the man she loved.