After I Gave My Husband Away, He Begged Me to Stay Chapter 12
“Then why were you staring at it?”
I hit delete.
“It’s gone.”
He picked up a chicken wing.
“How hot is this?”
“You ordered the nuclear–hot wings.”
“I forgot.”
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
He took one bite and immediately started gulping water.
I laughed so hard I almost dropped my fork.
The owner called over from behind the counter,
“I told you two not to act tough!”
Grant coughed too hard to answer.
I handed him a napkin.
“Serves you right.”
He took it and wiped his mouth.
“Claire.”
“Yeah?”
“You smile more now than you did three years ago.
My fork paused.
“Do I?”
“You do.”
“You remember that clearly?”
“I have a good memory.”
“Then do you remember what you said three years ago after I turned you down?”
He answered without thinking.
“I said I’d keep the San Jose office open för you for a year.”
“And after that?”
“You didn’t come the second year.”
“So why did you keep it empty?”
“Couldn’t be bothered to move the furniture.”
I looked at him.
He turned his face away.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You want to laugh?”
“A little.”
“Go ahead.”
So I did.
In June, the new campus passed its final inspection.
Crestwell held its annual company awards gala in San Jose.
For the first time, my name appeared beside Grant’s on the list of top project leads.
The host announced from the stage,
“Crestwell Health San Jose Campus launch team: Grant Sullivan and Claire Bennett.”
We walked onstage together.
When we received the award, Grant gave me the spot closer to the center.
The photographer called out,
“A little closer together.”
Grant moved half a step toward me.
After we came offstage, a coworker teased him.
“Grant, so that office you kept empty for three years really was waiting for someone?”
Grant glanced at me.
“Shut up.”
“Wow. Look at you getting defensive.”
I carried the award away from the crowd.
He followed.
“Don’t listen to them.”
“Which part am I not supposed to listen to?”
“The office thing.”
“So you didn’t save it for me?”
He said nothing.
“Then I’ll move out tomorrow.”
“Don’t.”
“Why?”
“Facilities will hate me if you keep moving offices.”
“Oh.”
I stretched the word out on purpose.
He watched me for two seconds.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“You’ve gotten dangerous.”
“Who taught me?”
“Definitely not me.”
We were standing outside the ballroom.
Someone inside called for a group photo.
Grant suddenly pulled a small box from his pocket.
I looked at it.
“Don’t get any ideas.”
“It’s not a ring.”
He opened it.
There was a key inside.
“The apartment downstairs from mine went up for sale. The owner’s moving overseas.”
“You keep saying the corporate apartment is too small.”
“So I bought it.”
“And?”
“I’m renting it to you.”
I looked up.
“Renting?”
“Twenty percent under market.”
“That’s my discount?”
“Fair is fair.”
“Who said this was business?”
He smiled.
“Then what relationship should I be pricing it for?”
I closed the box and pushed it back into his hand.
“Send me the lease.”
“Okay.”
“One month’s security deposit, three months‘ rent up front.”
“Okay.”
“If anything breaks, the landlord pays for repairs.”
“Okay.”
“And stop sneaking food into my refrigerator.”
He paused.
“I can’t promise that.”
I laughed.
“Then I’m not renting it.”
“I can promise.”
He answered immediately.
By the end of that summer, Ethan was finally divorced
Ryan stopped emailing me.
I found out through a mutual friend’s Instagram post.
Megan and Noah moved back in with Linda.
Ethan put the Westbridge condo up for sale.
Someone asked in the comments:
Why sell a place in such a great school district?]
Ethan did not answer.
Two days later, a package arrived from him.
Inside was the thin necklace he had given me years ago and a handwritten letter.
The letter was long.
I did not finish it.
I only saw the last sentence on the first page:
[I really thought you’d always be there.]
I folded the letter again.
I put the necklace back in the box with it.
The shipping label gave me a return address.
I sent it back to the same address.
The note said:
[RETURN TO SENDER.]