Her Husband's Other Life novel · Chapter 19 of 24

Chapter 19: What He Said

Ross's condition was ten minutes alone with me.

Geraldine read it out on the phone with her usual flatness and added, "You don't have to."

"If I don't, he doesn't sign," I said.

"He signed. His lawyer is holding the signature until you agree."

"That's a hostage."

"That's Ross," Geraldine said. "You can say no."

I thought about it for the length of one breath.

"Sunday, at the library," I said. "On the bench by the bike rack, in daylight."

Nate parked his truck at the far end of the lot on Sunday at noon and stayed behind the wheel with a newspaper.

"If you wave, I'll come over," he said.

"I won't wave."

"If you don't wave and you look like you want to, I'll come over anyway."

"Log it," I said, and got out.

Ross was already on the bench.

He wore jeans and a grey sweater, which I had not seen him in for months, and his eyes were red from no sleep.

He didn't stand when I sat down.

He kept his hands between his knees, and I sat at the other end.

"Thank you for coming," he said.

"You have ten minutes."

"I know." He nodded at his shoes. "I want to tell you why I said it."

"Said what?"

"That you needed the marriage more than I did."

My stomach tightened. "You said it in front of twelve people."

"I said a version of it to you for years." He lifted his head. "Not those words. You don't remember because I said it kindly."

"Say them."

"After the second cycle I told you that most men would have left. After the fourth I said you were lucky I'm patient."

I remembered.

I had remembered every one of them, and I had always thanked him.

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