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I say nothing. Because he’s still pushing despite everything I’ve said. And it hurts. It hurts and it’s confusing.
“Deal?” he asks. “I’m not trying to bully you into doing something you don’t want. I think that if you can get over the idea of it meaning you’re a cheater you’ll see it could be the answer. I’ve thought about it a lot and I think it could work for us.”
I stare at him for a long moment through the tears in my eyes.
He waits while my heart twists up in knots.
“My parents have an open marriage,” he blurts.
I’m taken aback.
“Dad cheated. They almost split up. She wanted to work it out. He told her he couldn’t promise he’d be faithful. Asked her to leave the marriage open. He told me he was ninety-nine per cent sure she didn’t fool around with anyone. He also told me not feeling trapped with one person made it so he only occasionally stepped out. He said it saved their marriage. He loved her even more once they changed things up. Can you think about it? I know you’ve tried hard to put me first and I’m not trying to bully you. I’m trying to hold onto you. Think about it?”
I blow out a long breath.
“Deal?” he asks.
“I’ve thought about it. I’m still thinking about it,” I whisper.
“Try? Please try it my way.”
“I’ll try. But if I-”
“Just try.”
I nod.
“Thank you,” he says softly, pain in his eyes. “I know you don’t want to accept what’s happened to me, how it changes things, but you need to do that, Chloe. You need to understand that I’m asking you to do this for you, for both of us.”
I sigh.
“Coming to bed?” he asks.
“In a while,” I say softly.
He stares at me for a long moment before he nods and then motors away from me.
Thursday
I close my laptop down for the day with a big smile on my face. My boss just had me jump on a video call to tell me I’ve earned a ten-thousand-dollar bonus, that my recent contributions to a campaign made a client so happy after their profit quadrupled their ad spend this month that they not only renewed their contract but also boosted their budget, insisting I get a cash bonus. They want me to be their primary point of contact and the potential for this client is so huge, my boss wants me working only on them instead of continuing to handle the half a dozen clients I manage now.
And I’m tickled pink.
Considering that most of my savings got eaten up buying the townhome with Adam a whole year before we planned to buy a house, this is great news and I’ll be tucking it away to help me re-boot my nest egg.
I’ve been working hard, trying to show my appreciation for all the company has done for me throughout the ordeal that has been my life for the past seven months and it feels great to be rewarded. I’ve been worried I asked for too much flexibility. Worried I haven’t been present enough, so I doubled down and really threw myself into work as a distraction from my reality.
I’m ready to celebrate this little win and decide I’m treating myself, taking myself on a date.
A trip to the mall, to the bookstore, and then a dinner date with whichever book I buy myself at my favorite soup place. Alone. I used to try to do it once in a while. Shop for a book, go to a restaurant, and enjoy reading while eating. I always get dessert when I do this and I’m looking forward to one of my favorite treats.
In fact, I haven’t been to the gym in seven months, let my membership expire, and it’s part of the same mall I’m going to, so I think I’ll stop by tonight and renew it.
Adam wants me to take up new hobbies anyway. We’ve rarely even eaten dinner together lately and if I’m out of the house more, he can pretend I’m cheating on him which might boost his mood.
I roll my eyes at my inner sarcasm.
My home office is on one side of the master bedroom, Adam’s is on the other. I rap on his office door and open it. He immediately closes the laptop lid and looks over his shoulder with irritation, asking, “What’s up?”
