Page 139 of Under the Table

“I thought I was doing what was best for our family—for us.” Rex scoffed. “And I was so very wrong. I thought I was working on a way to keep you, but the more you were with her, the longer you were with her, the more I realized that you love her. It’s not just feelings, it’s not just sex, it’s not just figuring out your sexuality. You love her.”

Hope’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t deny it. She wouldn’t tell him that he was wrong. Because he wasn’t. She did loveAngelica. But she loved Rex as well. She’d never told him how deep her feelings ran for Angelica because she’d been afraid that this might happen, that for him it would become all about a competition that he felt he couldn’t ever win.

“Don’t talk to me about making this work when you’re the one who pulled away.” Rex was insistent.

Hope knew she bore some of the blame for the state of their relationship, but it wasn’t all on her. He had to recognize that at some point. Neither one of them were talking. Neither one of them was putting effort into their relationship and making sure that they were taking care of each other. And that had started well before Angelica came into the picture.

It started when Eva was born.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Hope sighed. “You’ll bring her to the house tomorrow for her to stay the weekend.”

“No, Hope, I’m not going to do that.”

“Then the courts it is.” She hung up on him.

She hated this.

Tears spilled down her cheeks again, warming her skin as they stung. What the hell had crawled up his ass? Why was she the one who was being made out to be the enemy?

She checked her email, and true to her word, Mary had sent over the contact information for the lawyer. Hope called him immediately and left a message so he could get back to her. She debated on calling Rachel, but the vast amount of betrayal that had just happened wasn’t anything she wanted to resolve right now. In fact, she wasn’t sure it could be resolved.

Hope dragged her sorry ass up off the floor, went back to her office, and curled up on the couch. She pressed her cheek against the arm of the couch and stared at her phone. She was all alone in this.

Rachel wouldn’t talk to her.

Rex had left her.

Angelica was…

Hope breathed when she thought of Angelica. She’d been kinder than Hope had imagined she would be, especially after their argument in San Diego. She’d expected Angelica to shut down and push her out instantly. But that hadn’t been the case. Not that she’d been warm and hopeful either.

Biting her lip, Hope stared at her phone. She could call Angelica, but what then? And why? Why would she call? For her own wellbeing? For her own mental stability? Because she needed something?

All of those things were true.

Which was exactly what Angelica had accused her of.

Not thinking about what everyone else was feeling. Hope clenched her eyes shut tight. Angelica had to be hurting, just like Hope and Rex were. They were all tangled up in this love triangle that had broken apart as soon as a small amount of pressure was put on them.

And no one was left standing.

No one had been left unwounded.

They were all broken into a million little pieces.

And they had nine months to figure themselves out before they had to see each other again. Nine months to heal and move forward. Nine months.

It wasn’t that much time.