Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“Ah yes, Hollywood. I live in Nashville,” I tell her. I motion for her to follow me and continue the tour.
“So you split your time?”
Shaking my head slightly, we step outside onto the patio. I purposely avoided showing her the master bedroom or the last guest bedroom where I have been sleeping. With my hand on the small of her back, I guide her up a small flight of stairs to a pergola that overlooks the pool. I don’t know if she purposely avoids looking at the pool where a few of the people in there all know her name or what, but I gather she’s much like me when it comes to attention. Less is far better in some cases.
“I rarely come here. The girls,” I say nodding toward the pool where both are, “live here with their mother. Or they did.”
“What does that mean?” she asks.
I sigh and readjust my hat. “She died last month.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Zara places her hand on mine, and I have no desire to pull away from her. I realize that I could play the broken-hearted widower right now, but that’s not me. I wear everything on my sleeve and lying is not a quality that I’m fond of unless it means hiding my identity.
“We were divorced,” I tell her just as my mother arrives with a tray of drinks and a copious amount of food. Zara laughs as she thanks my mama who once again winks at me. I can’t help but frown, wondering what she’s thinking.
“How long?” she asks.
I take a long sip of the ice tea my mother brought out, instantly missing this and the sweet tea that I’m used to. “Almost three years.”
“Was it hard?”
Shrugging. “At first, maybe, but mostly because of the girls. I have full custody of them, but Iris, their mother, moved out here and told Stormy about the dance school here. I didn’t want to hold Stormy back from following her dreams, so I let the girls move out here with their mother.”
“And now you’re living in her house?”
I look over my shoulder at the house before meeting Zara’s gaze. “It’s my house. I bought it for the girls, so they had a place to live. Iris. . . she was unstable after our divorce. She wanted to relive her teen years because they had been taken away when we got pregnant with Stormy.” I shrug and finish off my drink. “I let her go because I just wanted her happy.”
“She was your soul mate?”
I ponder her question for a few seconds before shaking my head. “No, she wasn’t. I thought she was until she died. Her death made me realize that our days were left back in high school and we were vastly different people. I was hurt when she asked for a divorce, but let her go and gave her whatever she asked for because. . .”
“Because you wanted her happy?”
I nod and find myself smiling even if it’s barely touching my lips.
“I’m married. . .”
And for some reason hearing her say that plummets my heart into the depths of my stomach. It’s not that I thought we were going to start dating, but hearing that she is attached to someone else doesn’t sit well with me.
“He cheated on me a month ago. I kicked him out and filed for divorce, but he’s not handling it well.”
And now I want to kick his ass.
“He’s in my band. He plays the drums. My publicist is telling me to get over it. The label is pissed, and I’m angry that no one is siding with me.”
“Did you cheat on him?” I ask although it’s none of my business.
She shakes her head rapidly. “God no. Up until about two weeks ago, I was walking around my house like a zombie, determined to forget everything. Except the paparazzi are camped out in front. I’ve been a prisoner in my own home until today, but anyway, it was like a light bulb went off. My husband. . .or soon to be former one, was in the paper with another woman and I thought ‘why the hell am I moping around when he’s not’ and decided that the man I once considered my soulmate isn’t because people don’t do that to their soul mates.”
She’s right, although to my knowledge Iris never cheated. I don’t know what I would’ve done if she had. Letting her go was hard enough, but to learn that she had given herself to another while married to me would’ve probably been devastating.
“I’m sorry you’re going through such a hard time. The door is open whenever you need to escape.” Why on earth I just invited her to come over whenever she wants, I have no idea. I can’t even promise that we’ll be here once school lets out. This isn’t my home, and I want to get back to Nashville. Songs have to be written, recorded, and produced.