Delaney's life just imploded, forcing her to move back to her hometown of Jefferson, Georgia. When she decided to cave to her kids wants and get them a dog, she's reconnected with a man that she was pretty sure never knew she existed when she was in...
"What? I know you want more kids. You always have. And if it wasn't for that pencil-dick asshole you called a husband, you would have more and you know it."
"I know." I sighed. "I just– ain't it too soon to be talking or think about kids with Brantley? We aren't even technically together."
"Del, you and Brantley are getting together tonight to bump uglies. Y'all can't keep your hands off one another, and in the two weeks after that slip-up of his, you were miserable. And so was he. Y'all might not have a label on what yall are, but in my book, y'all are as together and Chase and I are –minus the ring and marriage certificate of course." said Amanda. "But give it time and I think that will be soon to follow.
"You are crazy." I said, shifting through my jewelry box, looking for something to go with the dress.
As I did, I stumbled upon my wedding set –the one that Alex had gotten for me a year before he decided to leave his family for his new life. The marquise cut diamond with square cut emeralds, Colton and Chloe's birthstones, and band with shimmering diamonds was stunning. I remembered the day he gave it to me as if it was yesterday. It had been our five-year anniversary and Alex had just gotten a big pay raise because of the year that William had in the series. Alex had surprised me with a fancy date, complete with candlelit dinner, soft music that was played live, and the best creme brulee I'd ever had in my life. He and I had spent the night very much like any couple in love would spend their anniversary. Little did I know that it had all been a lie, that he had given me that ring as a way to make up for the immeasurable amount of guilt he had over wronging me in the way he was.
"Del, are you still there?" Said Amanda, pulling me from the memory of that night.
"Yeah, sorry. Just found these." I said, holding up the rings. I let the rings slip onto my index finger as I held my hand out.
"I get why you held onto them but I still say you should have shoved them up his ass." Her words had the effect I knew she was going for –to make me laugh.
"Chloe might want them one day."
"I hope you do give her them cursed damned things. I'll kick your ass all the way from Jefferson back to Dawsonville when you do."
"They aren't cursed." I said, tossing them back into the box. "They just don't have a happily-ever-after ending."
"All the more reason not to give them to your daughter. We don't want to wish on her anything like you have been through."
"When you put it like that..."
Amanda didn't reply, instead choosing to remain quiet. But that quietness was short-lived when Maisie came running into the living room crying. Amanda gave a quick "gotta go" before ending the facetime, leaving me to get ready for my date with Brantley by myself.
I glanced at the time on the phone and noticed that I had less than an hour before Brantley would be here. In other words, I had less than an hour to get ready, to calm my nerves, and get ready to be completely and utterly ravaged –if what he said about me screaming his name was any indication of what tonight would be like.
I made quick work of getting ready then, not giving myself time to second guess the dress, shoes, or my jewelry choices. I styled my hair in a way that it was down but had loose waves in it before adding my usual makeup; nothing too heavy but enough to tell that I had a little on.
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