Page 103 of The Moment You Know

Not caring that Ashley was watching him, he typed out a reply.

DAVID: Packing all my shit and then moving it into the loft.

DICK: Are you kidding? Fuck, if I’d known I was going to be helping you move, I wouldn’t have asked Everett to cover for me.

DAVID: I know. That’s why I didn’t tell you.

DICK: You’re such an asshole.

DICK: Wait. You said ‘your’ shit. What’s going on?

DAVID: I’ll explain everything after we’re done tomorrow. I promise.

DICK: All right, fine. But you’re going to owe me BIG for this.

DICK: I’ll see you in the morning at 8 a.m.

DAVID: Can you make it 7 a.m.? I have a lot of shit.

DAVID: Which reminds me … I need you to bring as many boxes with you as you can.

DICK: Seriously, you’re an asshole.

DICK: Fine. I’ll see you at 7 a.m.

DAVID: Thank you!

DICK: You’re not welcome.

Putting his phone in his pocket, he sat back down at the table.

Ashley immediately started in. “David, I’m sorry—”

“You’re sorry you got caught, maybe, but not sorry for what you did. Jesus, you crossed lines without even blinking,” he ground out. “You were so busy thinking about yourself and what you might lose, that you never stopped to think about how your actions might affect me and what I might lose. And you certainly weren’t thinking about Paige and what she might lose—and yes, she matters, too.” David shook his head. “You had no right to do the shit you did. Who the hell does that? And then lives with it for years, like they haven’t done anything wrong?”

“At the time, it didn’t really feel wrong,” she said softly. “I know that sounds terrible, but it’s true. It just felt like … survival. But I really am sorry. I am.”

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you really are sorry. It doesn’t change anything for me. It doesn’t get me back any of those decisions and allow me to make them for myself. I really loved that house. If I’d known she was selling it, I might’ve tried to figure out a way to buy it from her. Or maybe not. Who knows? But that wasn’t a decision I got to make, because you took it away from me. Nor did you have the right to make the decision about the money she offered me. It’s a moot point now and I can’t say for sure that I’d have taken it, but I would’ve at least considered it, if for no other reason than it could’ve made a substantial dent in Jacob’s college fund.

“And I would have taken some of the furniture, when she offered it, especially the sectional, that’s for damn sure. Another decision I didn’t get to make. I would’ve talked to her about Carter, but again, not a decision I got to make. And you know what else? I would’ve read the advance copy of Paige’s book. Absolutely. But that was another decision I didn’t get to make, thanks to you.”

He gave her a disgusted look. “Are you seeing a pattern here? Yeah, me too. So, fuck you, Ash. Fuck you and your ‘sorrys’. They’re worthless.”

She must have heard something in his voice, because for the first time since they started talking, Ashley looked truly wary, as if she was just now understanding the severity of the situation she was in.

“We have nowhere to go from here,” he told her, deliberately and unemotionally, before he lowered the boom. “Which means we’re done.”

Chapter 40

Ashley stared at him, her face losing color. “What?”

“You heard me. We’re done.”

“Done? You can’t be serious!”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

“You can’t do this, baby. Please, we’re so good together—”

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