Page 116 of Renascence

My reply stuns him. I may look different, but I also have a whole new mindset. The broken woman he turned me into is gone. He probably has no idea how to handle the one I’ve become.

“Guess I can’t call you Miss Piggy anymore,” he says with a smirk.

“Guess not.” I shrug, my indifference turning his smirk into a scowl.

“Where’s your biker?” He tries to get under my skin once more, looking around.

This is the one area he can touch on that will affect me, and from the look on his face, he’s realized it.

“Get tired of you already?”

“You already know he’s not here or else you wouldn’t be standing here.”

“You know what he did to me, don’t you?”

“I only just found out. While I regret how he handled it, I can’t say that about the outcome. You should’ve just signed the damn papers.”

“That why he left you? ’Cause you can’t handle his lifestyle?”

“If you must know, I ended things with him, just like I did with you.”

“I warned him, you know. Told him what a frigid bitch you are.”

“Just because you didn’t know how to handle me doesn’t mean he didn’t. FYI, he did.”

“Taught you a few things, did he?” He licks his lips. “Maybe you can show them to me when we’re done here.”

“As if I’d let you touch me again.” I scoff. “You’re just a memory I’m trying hard to forget.”

His blonde from the fight shows up next to him, linking her arm through his and giving me a dirty look. I turn to her with a saccharine smile.

“You know, the rumors are true. I traded up to abigger, better model, and let’s just say I’ll never go compact again.”

I leave them with their mouths hanging open, sauntering toward my lawyer, Johnathan, who just entered the building.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, bitch.

I was dreading seeing James today, but our little exchange taught me something. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to look back, to deal with the things in your past. I believe he has been effectively dealt with.

We don’t have to wait long before our case is called. James and his woman side-eye me the entire time, but I remain focused on the proceedings. I didn’t want anything from him. He’d already blown through our joint savings, and since I sold my car, all that was left was the house and everything in it. I let him have it all and didn’t even ask for alimony. All I want is to be free. When the judge bangs his gavel, I almost leap for joy. Johnathan turns to me, shaking my hand.

“Well, Miss Pierce, you’re a free woman now. What’s the first thing on your agenda?”

“I have no idea,” I answer. I was looking forward to celebrating with Liam, but that’s out of the question. He doesn’t want me. “What do you suggest?”

“Drinks?” He raises a hopeful brow, blue eyes meeting mine.

Oh.

James catches my eye, his glare telling me he’s heard our conversation. I return my attention to Johnathan, a smile firmly in place.

“Sure. Why not?”

We walk out arm in arm, and he drives us to a nearby bar. While he finds us a table, I run to the ladies’ room to check my makeup. As I stare at my reflection, I wonder why I’m even bothering. I’ll be crappy company since my mind will be on Liam the entire time. It’s too soon.

I have an inkling I’ll feel like this for a long time to come. It’s only been three days. Three days since I left Stony View, since Liam dropped me off at my uncle’s and I watched through the curtains as he rode away. He didn’t even hesitate or glance back. My most painful memory of that day is of his retreating back, the sound of his bike slowly fading.

I miss him.