#Chapter 41 – To The Resort


    Ste


    With my bags packed and ready to go on a week long beach vacation with my soon to be ex-husband and his wonderful mother, I feel a mix of nervousness and excitement form inside my chest. It makes my heart race inside my chest, changing against the bones of my ribcage.


    Am I excited for this vacation? I would say so, yes. It will sure be nice to get away from the city and not have to stare at myptop screen at night hoping that someone wille along and offer me a job.


    Am I also dreading going on this vacation? Also yès. Having to be near a man as cruel and rude as Adrian will surely be a recipe for disaster. If his mother didn''t know we are getting a divorce, well, she''s about to find out if anything goes wrong between us.


    I stare at Adrian''s text messages that sit inside our individual chat. The gray bubble stare back at me as if they are mocking me for simply liking his messages with a thumbs up instead of acting responding.


    Is it petty? Sure, one could say that, but I do not think that Adrian is all of a sudden entitled to my full generosity just because we are pretending to still be married. He should feel so lucky that I am willing to help him out with his mother because once this trip is over: I''m gone.


    I sigh and push my phone into my pocket, grabbing the handle of my suitcase, and walk towards the door. With each step, anticipation bubbles inside of me, festering and fiery. The ugly emotions that are trapped inside my body eat away at me, screaming at me that this is a bad idea to be alone with Adrian.


    My apartment door swings open with ease, my suitcase acting as the first barrier between the outside world and I. I stare at the luggage, making sure that it is properly zipped up before I fully leave to wait outside for Adrian. My eyes slip away from the suitcase andnd on a pair of expensive yetfortable dress shoes.


    Raising my gaze, I take in the man''s casual yet expensive appearance. He wears designer clothes, all monotone colors, and has an expensive watch on his wrist. My eyesnd on his green ones, the striking emerald color catching me off guard. My breath hitches in my throat.


    "Adrian," I breathe out, my grip on my luggage tightening "what are you doing here?"


    "I said I would pick you up," he shrugs, slipping his phone into his jacket pocket. He reaches for the handle of my luggage and our skin grazes against each other, turning my skin electric from his touch.


    I yank my hand away and allow him to take my suitcase. His eyes linger on me


    but he turns around, making his way down the hallway as I lock my door and rush after him.


    "How has your morning been-"


    "It''s been fine," Adrian cuts me off. We make our way down to the lobby, the conversation not picking up.


    Adrian guides me to his parked car, opening up the passenger door for me before heading to the back of the SUV, cing my suitcase in the back. I close the door behind me and watch as he gets inside. Without another word, he starts the car and drives off.


    Before I know it, we have arrived at his mother''s nursing home. I step out of the car and get the front seat ready for her, wanting Lilian to be asfortable as possible before we''re stuffed onto an airne for a few hours.


    Adrian goes inside andes back out with his mom on his arm and her bag in the other. She beams when she sees me, waving with both hands as she embraces me into a hug. I smile and help her into the passenger seat, climbing into the back as Adrian gets back inside, driving us to the airport.


    "There are these beautiful tide pools that I would love to visit with you two!" Lilian''s excitement is infectious,


    causing me to genuinely smile instead of forcing a fake one onto my face. "Oh! And there''s a lovely restaurant on the beach that would be so nice to dine at as well."


    "Don''t worry, mom," Adrian''s tone is slightly amused while his face remains serious, "we will do everything you want to do. We promise."


    Adrian''s green eyes flicker to mine through the rear view mirror. My heart skips a beat. I gulp and divert my gaze, my cheeks heating up froin embarrassment and the feeling of being seen.


    That is what kept me in my marriage with Adrian for so long. His ability to make me feel so seen with one single look has kept me in a trance for so long. His green eyes and golden locks only adding to the devastating handsomeness that is Adrian.


    We reach the airport and Adrian pulls up to the drop off curb where two men in ck suits wait. We step outside and he passes off the key to one of the men, turning his attention to the other.


    "We have been expecting you, Mr. Adrian," the man smiles. He gestures to the doors of the airport, "We have everything ready to go for you, sir. Please, follow me."


    Lilian wraps her arm around mine and we share a look of luxury. Surely, this is something that Adrian always does whenever he travels across the country. This simply cam''t be all for show for his mother? But if it is, I am proud of him for making it feel so special.


    The transition onto the ne is easy. The first ss section of the ne is luxurious and spacious. Lilian immediately sank into her seat next to the window just across the aisle from Adrian and I.


    She insisted that the married couple sit together, iming to not want to pull us away from each other. Adrian and I smiled at her, sharing a knowing nce as I settled into the window seat.


    The ne takes off and we''re in the sky not even an hourter. The flight is long but we''re thankful that Adrian booked us a direct flight instead of having multipleyovers.


    "How much do I owe you for the ticket?" I look at Adrian, twiddling with my fingers on myp. The flight is almost over and we''ve barely spoken the whole time.


    He barely even nces at me as he scrolls through hisptop, an influx of contracts and research papers flooding his screen. He sighs and shakes his head, peeling his gaze away from the screen.


    "You don''t need to pay me back," he begins, "you''re already doing enough by pretending to be my wife."


    "Speaking of that," I angle my body to face his, "we shoulde up with stories of our...love for one another. Stories that don''t involve us screaming at each other."


    Adrian pauses and closes hisptop. He nces at his sleeping mother before turning back to me.


    "Our sixth anniversary passed. I...took you out to dinner and showered you with flowers and jewelry. You gave me this watch and I gave you this new ring," he reaches inside his pocket and for my hand.


    My breath gets caught in my throat. I watch as he slips a diamond ring onto my finger, an even more extrava ring than the one I married him with. He holds my hand, his thumb grazing over the diamond, before he drops my hand.


    "Adrian," my tone is bitter. His body tenses beside me. I look down at the ring, feeling how heavy it is on my finger. "We should talk about what happened."


    "You''re entitled to your feelings and I am with mine," he grumbles before pausing. "I''m...sorry for the way I have treated you, Ste," his eyes move to mine, "please know that."


    I stare at him with glossy eyes, feeling my walls begin to crumble at his feet.


    Before I can respond, though, the


    pilot announces the ne''s descent back to earth, killing ou


    pilot announces the ne''s descent back to earth, killing o


    pilot announces the ne''s descent back to earth, killing our conversation before


    it can continue.