Ava listens, but I can tell she wants me to cut to the chase. “Okay. That’s good, right?”
She’s always trying to be positive. I love that about her.
With a smile, I answer, “It was great. Really great. So great that he and I spent the entire week together. That Saturday, I was supposed to leave, but we were having a great time. It’s hard to explain, but I was in love within a few days, so when he suggested we get married, I said yes.”
“You got married in Vegas? Like an Elvis impersonator officiated?”
My best friend really is the sweetest person in the world. Only she would ask that question.
Shaking my head, I have to laugh. “No, it was a regular person, not some fake Elvis. Since then, we’ve been husband and wife.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t either of you tell any of us?”
This is the part I didn’t want to talk about. It’s too embarrassing to say.
Hanging my head, I answer, “He didn’t want to tell anyone. Maybe he was ashamed of me. Maybe it’s like he’s always said that he just wanted to keep us to us. I don’t know.”
I look up at her as tears begin to come again. “All I know is I can’t do that anymore. So I served him with divorce papers, as you just saw. I have to go now, Ava. I want to crawl back under the covers like I’ve been doing all week, but this time I’m not sure I want to ever come out again.”
Ava starts to cry and wraps her arms around me again. “You were my sister-in-law, and I didn’t even get to enjoy that. That’s not fair, Eden. It’s not fair.”
“I know, but life isn’t fair. Go back inside and enjoy that wonderful husband of yours and those two sweet babies. I need to go before Marius comes out here and wants to talk. I can’t talk to him anymore. I’ve got no more words left.”
We stand there at my car in the middle of a beautiful late September afternoon sobbing like babies ourselves. Ava cries for all the things she thinks she missed out on by not knowing I was married to Marius, but I cry for all the things I’m losing.
Even if I know what I’m doing is the right thing for me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Marius
My brothersall look at me like they have a million questions they want to ask but can’t figure out how to ask them or which one to ask first. Kate and Salem hurriedly gather up some plates and glasses before taking them inside, clearly not interested in witnessing any more of the shitshow that’s become my life.
When it’s just the four of us and the two sleeping kids, Matthias walks over to me and asks, “What the fuck is going on? Are you telling me you and my wife’s best friend, who she’s been trying to set you up with for years, are married?”
Just as I start to say something, Ava walks out the back door and marches right up to me. I’ve never seen her so upset. She looks like she either wants to bite through a piece of steel or cry harder than she’s ever done before.
“How could you do this?”
“You don’t understand.”
That’s all I get out of my mouth before she slaps me hard across the face. I’m stunned for a few seconds, especially sinceAva is the least violent person I’ve ever met in my life. My brothers look like they can’t believe this person who’s always been so kind to all of us just slapped me.
“You were married to Eden for the past two years? My best friend was my sister-in-law, and you chose to hide that? Why? Were you ashamed of her?” she asks, her voice cracking.
“No. I wasn’t ashamed of her. That’s not why I wanted to keep things quiet.”
Tears stream down her face as she glares at me. “Then why? Was it because she doesn’t come from the kind of money you do? Eden is an educated, successful, intelligent woman who makes good money as an investment analyst, and by the way, it’s not like she came from the wrong side of the tracks so she’s not worthy of you. Her family is wealthier than mine ever was. Do you feel the same way about me?”
Matthias tries to come to my rescue, which is nice, but Ava’s not having any of it.
“Honey, I’m sure it’s not about money,” he says, but his wife spins around and huffs like she’s about to breathe fire.
“No, Matthias! I want to hear what this was about from Marius.”
When she turns back to face me, I brace for her to slap me again, but she collapses into one of the patio chairs and simply shakes her head. “Eden thinks you were ashamed of her, so that’s why you didn’t want to tell everyone you two were together.”
Ava buries her face in her hands and sobs like a baby. My heart clenches in my chest, not only for what all of this is doing to her but also for what Eden must be going through. I wish I could go to her, but I know the woman I love well enough to be sure she needs some time.
