Page 40 of Bad Husband

She sighs, her shoulders slumping. “Ridley, just face it. It’s over and we just need to make this less painful.”

Fuck her. Less painful? My balls have been skinned for her. But do you see her face right now? Look really close because there’s something in the way her lashes flutter and her eyes sadden.

I drop to my knees before her so we’re eye level as she’s sitting on a stool. My palms frame her face. “Tell me right now to my fucking face you don’t love me. At all. That you want this divorce, and I’ll walk away and give you what you want.”

She says nothing and blinks, slowly.

“I’m fucking trying, okay. Maybe I’ve been blind for a while, but you can’t dismiss that once you told me how you felt I’ve been trying.”

Again, she says nothing because she knows it’s the truth.

“Then go out with me. Let’s try to make this work and if in these fifty-something days I have left, I can’t make you see you’re still in love with me, then I’ll give you the divorce.”

Her eyes search mine, darting to my lips and then my eyes. “So you’re going to make me fall back in love with you?”

I pull her toward me, my breath blowing across her face. “No. I’m going toremindyou why you fell in love with me. Because, honey, you and I both know you haven’t stopped.”

She can’t argue with me, and she knows it.

“Have dinner with me tonight. I’ll get a babysitter.”

“We can’t tonight. Nathalie’s coming over with Grady for dinner.”

Ah, yes, Madison’s best friend, Nathalie, and her devil child. You think Noah the cat killer’s bad, wait until you meet Grady. He makes Noah look like an angel.

“Fine. Friday night.”

“Callan’s birthday party is the next day.”

“So? Doesn’t mean we can’t go out.”

She raises an eyebrow at me. “Well, his birthday is Friday so that’d mean we’re going out alone on our kid’s birthday?”

Fuck. “You’re right. Sunday then?”

Madison stands and grabs onto my shoulders to make me stand with her. She twists me around so I’m facing the door. “Fine, Sunday I’ll go on a date with you. Now, will you leave?”

“Yes,” I say proudly, forgetting about my burning nut sac for a split second. “But, can you apply some lotion to these tonight?”

She rolls her eyes. “No.”

I may not be getting my nuts massaged tonight but still, I had a date and time to at least work this out. That’s progress, right?

Walking awkwardly back to the counter, Lindsey is all smiles. “How was your wax, Mr. Westin?”

Do you think there’s a reason as to why she didn’t ask me what I wanted to see Madison for and just scheduled me in?

I grunt my reply, which is a “fuck off” muttered under my breath and hand her my credit card. It’s then I notice Madison is standing behind the counter now too, smiling.

Of course she’s smiling. She got to inflict pain on her husband she’s trying to divorce.

Apparently, this is funny to them. I don’t even pay attention to what I’m signing and hope I wasn’t charged more than five bucks to have my ball skin ripped off.

Madison waves to me, still all smiles. “Have a nice day, Mr. Westin.”

Guess what? She’s wearing her wedding ring. I can’t help but feel pretty good about that. But the feeling disappears when I attempt to walk.

I look back over my shoulder. “You too,Mrs. Cooper.”

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