Page 59 of Forever King

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Then she turns around and she looks like a different person. Like a weight has been lifted off her she’s carried for years.

“I thought that wouldn’t be enough, but you know what, I don’t want to do this anymore. I’ve walked around with all this resentment for five years because I thought I deserved more from you, but now I deserve more from myself. I’ll sign your papers.”

A little surprised, I ask, “Do you want the money or the house?”

Shaking her head, she shrugs. “I don’t need your money. I’ve got my own. As for the house, that would only remind me of the fool I was, and I don’t need that in my life anymore. I’m done beating myself up because you never loved me.”

I let out a heavy sigh, exhausted from this meeting. I feel like I should apologize again, but what good would it do?

Jillian waves for our lawyers to come back in, and as soon as Cynthia slides the papers across the table to her, she signs her name. “There. It’s done.”

Her lawyer says something to her, but she waves him off. “I want nothing more than what I got here today.” Turning to look at me, she says, “Have a nice life, Matthias. Goodbye.”

Without another word, she walks out of the conference room with her lawyer following behind. Cynthia looks at me like she’s impressed and asks what I did to get her to sign.

“No idea. I guess she just wanted to get some things off her chest.”

My attorney’s face lights up. “Great! Let’s go back home. I’ll get this filed immediately.”

As we walk out the glass doors, she congratulates me on winning, but I don’t feel much like someone who’s won anything at this moment.

Another person wanted me to fly thousands of miles just to tell me I was an asshole. She’s carried around that feeling for five years and wanted to ruin my happiness over my actions.

I’m not a winner in this. Just someone who should have been a better man and stood up to my father.

And just when I thought I’d gotten over learning Theo intentionally kept Ava and me apart, I find out he sought out Jillian just to tell her about my being in love with someone else. I don’t know what to do with that knowledge.

All I know is it makes all that happened between him and me hurt once again.

21

Matthias

By the timeI get back home, it’s nearly five o’clock because of the traffic from the airport to outside the city. I race up the Taconic once I can get some speed after leaving the bottlenecks behind me, eager to see Ava and the kids again. I can’t tell her why I had to go on my trip, but at least I know the wedding can go on as planned.

Three times I tried to call Ava, but each time her phone sent me to voicemail. That’s strange. She has to know I’d be calling her this afternoon. Then I think to myself that she may have forgotten about the time change and thinks I’ll be home later tonight.

That’s good, though. I’ll be able to surprise her.

I walk into my house and find no one around. Even Eleanor isn’t there. That’s definitely odd.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” I call out, wondering where the hell my family has gone.

When I don’t get an answer, I do it again, only louder, and finally, Eleanor walks into the kitchen. “Sorry, Matthias. I didn’t hear you. I was in my room since Ava gave me the day off.”

Okay, that’s strange too.

“Where is she?”

Shaking her head, the woman who’s been in my life for what seems like forever answers, “I’m not sure. She gave me and the nanny the day off and left a few hours ago.”

Instantly, I know something’s wrong. Ava wouldn’t leave without telling Eleanor where she’s going. She always does, even if she’s just running down the road to the store.

Unsure of what’s happened but not worried too much yet, I pick up my suitcase and start walking upstairs. My mind goes to the worst case scenario by the time I reach the second floor, but I quickly dismiss that. She’d tell Eleanor if something happened and one of the kids needed to go to the doctor’s office, or worse, the emergency room. And if she was the one who’s sick, Eleanor would absolutely know.

Satisfied nobody is in danger, at least I don’t think they are, I unpack my suitcase and put everything away. It takes only a few minutes, and then I’m left alone in our room looking around for some explanation as to where Ava and the kids are.