Page 75 of One Good Reason

“You’re right.” Laying my head back down, I thought about it for a few seconds. “It wasn’t always like this. At one point, I wanted marriage and everything that came with it.”

“What changed?”

“Met a woman that I fell in love with. I mean so in love that I went againsteverythingthat I knew for her. The nature of our relationship was inappropriate as hell, but I didn’t care. I loved her enough to deal with whatever backlash we would face.”

“What you mean backlash?”

Skipping over the part about Adele’s age and her true identity I said, “She was married, and we were having an affair.”

“Lawton Harvey, you had an affair with a married woman?”

“For years. In my defense, her marriage was over with before we decided to fuck around. They were together on paper only.”

“That’s an excuse and you know it.”

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “Anyway, I was young and knew that when she finally got divorced, the two of us would be together.We had several conversations about what our life would look like when she was finally free.”

“She backed out?”

“Reversed her ass out of there.” I chuckled, lowly. “She got a taste of what single life was like and decided that she no longer wanted to be with me. She was cool with us still fucking and sneaking around but that was as far as she was willing to take it.”

“And you let that one thing turn you away from marriage?”

“Women are calculated. They give enough to keep you interested. When you start wanting more than they’re capable of giving, they pull back. That was the second time I’d ever had my heart broken at the hand of a woman. And I refused to let it happen a third time.”

“Second time. Who was the first?”

“Myegg donor.”

“Oh wow.”

“Wow is right,” I assured.

“Your ex. Did you love her?”

Shifting my body, I finally pulled out of Talitha and laid beside her. Folding my hands behind my head, I stared up at the ceiling. “Loved. Thought I was in love, but I realized I wasn’t. I loved her because she was there, and I never felt abandoned or alone.”

“That’s deep.”

“Is it?” I questioned. “Or is it maniacal?”

“Could be a little bit of both,” Talitha offered.

“Exactly.”

“So, what was the final nail in the coffin for your ex? I know you said she wanted what you weren’t willing to give. But what made her finally walk?”

“Thanksgiving Day, we spent it with her family. Her little sister announced her engagement and pregnancy to the family. Her pops asked me when I was going to propose, and I told himnever. I didn’t lie and Dahlia knew that. I guess that was the night she had a revelation. A few days later, I walk in on her destroying my house.”

“What house? This one?”

“That is correct.”

“Damn,” Talitha sighed.

“Who are you telling?” I chuckled. “Cost me a lot of fucking money to replace everything.”

“You hurt her and that was her way of repaying you.”

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