He Gave My House to His Ex, So I Took My Life Back novel · Chapter 21 of 24

Chapter 21: The Last Key

Carlton was waiting in the lobby of my office building at ten past nine on Monday morning.

He wore the suit from the banquet, and he had not shaved.

He stood up from the visitor's bench the moment the elevator opened.

"Jo. Five minutes."

"I have a nine-thirty."

"Please."

Three adjusters I worked with were standing at the coffee station pretending to read their phones.

The receptionist had stopped typing.

I thought about walking past him.

Then I thought about the other places he would wait for me if I did.

My front porch, Sam's drive, Cody's school.

"Five minutes," I said. "Here."

He glanced at the coffee station.

"Could we..."

"Here."

He nodded and swallowed.

"They let me go Friday," he said. "The dealership. He didn't even make me clean out my desk. A guy from security carried the box."

"I'm sorry about the job."

"Are you?"

"I'm sorry it hurts. I'm not sorry about why."

He took that without arguing, which was new.

"Colleen left Sunday night," he said. "For her sister's in Atlanta. Alone. She didn't say goodbye to Cody. She said something to me in the driveway I won't repeat. It was ugly."

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