Page 68 of No Turning Back
Her big eyes blink up at me, unrepentant.
Exhausted, we finally drift upstairs, the conversation we’d started forgotten somewhere in the night.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Quinn
Two months later, I'm in my car once more, but with a completely different energy. This time I'm clutching a piece of paper that means everything.
"I'M FREE, BITCHES!" I scream, bursting through Kate and Aiden's front door with two bottles of champagne clutched precariously in my hands. My voice echoes through their entryway, probably disturbing the neighbours, but I couldn't care less.
Aiden appears from the backyard, wiping his hands on his jeans. The look on his face shifts from startled to amused as he takes in my wild entrance.
"Signed the papers?" he asks, a smile breaking across his face.
"Done and dusted," I reply, thrusting one champagne bottle toward him while hugging the other to my chest like a trophy. "The judge made it official this morning. I am officially divorced and officially celebrating."
I glance around their living room, noticing the absence of my best friend.
"Where's Kate?"
Aiden's smile falters, and he grimaces. "Emergency at work. Some crisis with a client. She really wanted to be here for this."
I pout dramatically, shoulders slumping as I let out an exaggerated sigh. "I just got divorced! I need my bitch! This is a milestone moment that requires proper female bonding."
Aiden shifts uncomfortably, and I narrow my eyes at him, a mischievous smile forming on my lips.
"You know what? You're an honorary bitch today. Grab some glasses, we're toasting."
He backs up slightly, hands raised in defence. "I, uh, have to oversee the construction," he says, gesturing toward his backyard where the rhythmic pounding of hammers and occasional buzz of power tools provide a constant soundtrack.
"Construction can wait. Divorce celebration cannot." I stride past him toward the kitchen, refusing to take no for an answer. "Besides, you owe me."
"For what?" he says. "Eating my food and hogging my wife?"
I glance over my shoulder, trying to open the bottle while watching Aiden's face turn an interesting shade of red.
"No, for watching the boys while you pretended to go to Maui, only to stay home and screw your wife's brains out before construction began."
The champagne cork pops with a satisfying thunk against the ceiling.
"How do you know that?" he asks, his voice dropping to a whisper.
I answer, pouring the bubbly liquid into two glasses, "I know everything."
He reluctantly takes the glass, looking like he might bolt at any second. "We didn't lie," he mumbles, taking a nervous sip. "The flight was cancelled and, well..."
"It’s fine," I say, clinking my glass against his.
"To freedom!" I toast, raising my glass high. "To never again having to see Markus's stupid face or having to deal with his mother."
I drain my glass in one long gulp, the bubbles burning down my throat in the most delicious way. Without waiting, I refill it to the brim.
"Whoa, slow down there," Aiden says, his glass still mostly full.
"No slowing down today," I announce, taking another generous sip. "I've been waiting for this day for so long. I deserve this."
Three glasses later, I'm sprawled across the couch, my shoes kicked off somewhere near the coffee table. The room has taken on a pleasant, fuzzy quality, and I can't stop giggling.
