He exhaled, then looked around before speaking again. “Haley, there’s something else I’ve been needing to tell you before… About my—”
As he spoke, Trace came down the stairs. Finn froze solid like he saw a ghost. “Trace?”
“Hi, Finn.” She paused on the last step, leaned against the rail, biting her lips together.
Haley looked to Finn and back to Trace, making the obvious connection. Her face fell as she took in just how much deeper into shits-ville this rebound thing had descended.
Awkward was a drop in the damn bucket of the epic cluster her life was becoming. Trace’s brow furrowed as she studied Haley and Finn, standing inches apart, longing sparks zapping between them. She whispered, “Haley, I had no idea until a few minutes ago. I’m not… Please don’t think this changes anything between you and me or you and Finn.”
Finn ran his hand through his hair, guilt radiating off his blushing cheeks.
The metallic taste of blood seeped over her tongue as Haley bit down on her cheek. “You knew?” She seethed as she watched Finn’s reaction.
His jaw clenched so tight she could hear his teeth grinding together, he exhaled cautiously and said, “I found out that day at the hike, you mentioned Trace over lunch. I wanted to tell you… shit, this sounds like a lame excuse, but I hadn’t found a good time to tell you. Just now I was trying to… I mean, you fell down that cliff, and then the concussion, and then Nate, and well… after the other night at my place… it didn’t seem as critical anymore.”
“What?” She hollered, shocked at the glass-breaking rage in her voice. “That it wouldn’t matter that I was sleeping with my friend’s boyfriend?”
“Whoa.” He put his arms out to calm things down. “Ex. Ex-boyfriend.”
“Friends don’t do that, ex or not. I wouldn’t have imagined you were rebounding from someone I evenknew, but my oldest friend? That happens to be a positive part of my life now that I’m free of that asshole? One of the few girlfriends I’ve had in my life thatwasn’tscrewing my husband?” Adrenaline pumping through every inch of her body, she paced like a gorilla at the zoo, then stood and glared out the great room window out at the forest beyond.
Finn ran to catch up. “Haley, it’s not… you know what? It doesn’t matter. I fucked up. I should have said something the moment I realized.”
Standing back, Trace walked halfway to them, then stopped, her arms wrapped around her middle. “Guys? I’m sorry if I’m butting in on something. I’ve been gone and clearly a lot’s happened. Haley, yeah, Finn and I have a history, but we broke up before I left town. No hard feelings. Clean break.”
Finn reached a hand for her, his brow scrunched, jaw clenched, but Haley stepped back, muttering, “I can’t.”
Her stupid phone rang again. Not giving a damn at this point, as her day couldn’t get much worse, she answered.
“Haley?” Her lawyer sounded apologetic already. Icing on the damn cake. She was flying down tomorrow for what should be their last mediation. He’d better not have any last-minute changes. Nate would know she’d be done with this whole charade and accept about anything. “I wanted to give you a heads up before you arrive. Nate is countering. He’s claiming you were having an affair with some football player and says he’s got documentation of a significant amount of funds you spent on this guy.”
“What? That’s not true, and if it were, have I asked him for one red cent that he spent on hismanyaffairs?” Her vision turned red.
“I’m preparing a response, detailing the funds he’s spent on his own infidelities. He won’t get away with it. California’s a no-fault divorce state, so the worst he can do is reduce your share, but he will need to present adequate proof, and this might turn into nickel and diming, which could add on another six to twelve weeks. Don’t sweat this, Haley, I’m on it. I didn’t want you to come in blindsided. We’re going to stop this. Nate doesn’t want to go to trial any more than you do.”
She flashed back to the weeks following their wedding.Let’s put all the accounts in both our names. I’m better with numbers, so it makes sense.
“Okay. Thanks.” She ended the call. Trace was still in the middle of the room, her feet mobile as she decided whether to go or stay.
Legs drooping like a leaky faucet, Haley wanted to collapse.
Strong arms wrapped around her before she could. Finn pulled her against him and whispered in her ear. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have come out that day and let him see me with you, but that son of a bitch was so damn smug, I wanted to piss him off.” He pulled back and cradled her jaw in his hands. “You are so much stronger than he is. Than anyone I know. Even if he gets away with this, you’re not alone. We’ll make it work. Do you want me to fly down? As a witness? As a friend? I can pull my financial records, alibis, whatever you need.”
She wanted to hide in bed and not wake up until it was over. “No, thanks. I’m going to call Sophie and see if she can help compile everything, and maybe I’ll be able to find where he’s getting his numbers.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead and wrapped his arms around her again. For a moment, she let herself sink in. Standing in the sun-soaked great room, she let herself pretend she could hold on forever.
She caught Trace heading out the front door in of the corner of her eye.
Finn backed up, releasing her hand only when he was too far away to hold on. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but didn’t. Instead, his chest rose and fell, then he turned and walked out.
20
Delay of Game
Shewasgoingtokill him. She’d think he didn’t listen, or that he didn’t believe that she could do this alone.
She was so wrong. He needed her to know she didn’t have to do this alone. Hadn’t she spent the last decade battling that shit-show of a marriage alone?
