Page 96 of Drown in You

“You can stay together.”

Everyone turns to Deb, her hands folded together on the table. A few beats of silence pass as her words register.

Mom’s head tilts in confusion. “Deb, what are you?—?”

“I want an annulment.”

Luke’s hand on my back slides around to my waist to tug me to him. Behind his glasses, Dad’s eyes widen. But he doesn’t jump up and protest.

What the fuck is happening?

“Deb—what?” Mom stutters. “What’s going on?”

Deb manages a small smile at my parents. “I see the love between the two of you. If I could have a second chance with my late husband, I’d jump on it. I care about you, Mike, and I want you both to be with the one you really love.”

Mom shakes her head adamantly. “Mike loves you, Deb. He married you.” She turns to Dad, but when he stays silent, she prompts, “Right?”

But Dad’s mouth remains shut. He can’t meet either of their gazes.

Oh my god. Luke was right. Something has been off about their relationship this whole time.

Dad and Deb aren’t in love. They may care about each other, enough to convince themselves that they could settle for each other and escape the loneliness, but neither of them has felt for the other what they felt for their former spouses.

My parents are still in love. All these years later, even after a broken marriage, they’ve never stopped loving each other.

“It’s really okay.” Deb’s smile is impossibly warm. “I want what the two of you had. What me and my husband had.” Her smile grows when she turns to me and Luke. “What you two have.”

Luke squeezes me closer, and maybe now, he’ll never have to let me go. Deb obviously took what I said to her last night to heart. I never expected it would lead to this.

“I’m not going to be responsible for ruining another marriage.” Mom’s voice wobbles, eyes glistening.

“I hope you don’t actually believe that.” For the first time since Deb dropped the annulment bomb, Dad finds his voice. But it’s not to comfort Deb or convince her to stay with him—it’s to comfort my mom. “You’re not responsible for ruining this marriage, and you certainly weren’t responsible for ruining ours.”

Mom can’t say anything as his words choke her up more.

Dad nods to me and Luke. “Could you two give us a moment?”

Luke takes my hand and leads me out of the room, my mind still spinning. Still catching up on the sharp detour my life has just taken. All of our lives.

Behind us, Deb murmurs, “I’ve already filled out the paperwork.”

Chapter 27

Sienna

Luke and I rush upstairs, my heart thundering as Luke shuts his bedroom door behind us. “Holy shit! Did that really just happen?”

Deb wants an annulment. Our parents are splitting up. Because my parents still love each other.

“Yeah, it did.” Luke is just as shocked as I am.

“I feel awful. I told Deb last night that my mom still loves my dad. I shouldn’t have said anything.” If I’m the reason they’re breaking up, I’ll be crushed. I’ve already lived years of my life believing I was responsible for destroying one marriage. I don’t want to live with the knowledge that I broke up another.

“Don’t feel bad. It’s good you did. They’re not right for each other.” Luke rubs my arms in comforting strokes. “Do you think your parents will get back together?”

“I can’t even wrap my mind around that possibility.” A bubble of hope rises in my chest. “But I think maybe they would both be happier. I’m sorry if your mom is hurt, though.”

My heart aches for Deb. I hope she’s not just putting on a brave face for all of us while she’s actually harboring more love for my father than any of us realize.

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