Just One Kiss, before divorcing me

CH 8

Rin

She wandered around Wil and Anabell's engagement party at will, and talked to anyone and everyone that said hello to her. She had come to the realisation that, with her and Calvin's divorce papers signed, and their marriage now over. She no longer had to stand by Calvin’s side, every single moment of the night, and play the loving wife that he'd asked her to play, and she'd accepted the role of three years ago, so she opted not to do so.

Though he’d arrived at the party and stepped right up to her like he normally would, when they arrived at any function separately. He'd done, she knew what he had always done for the past three years, fallen into that role he'd given himself without a second thought at all. He'd dropped an arm around her waist and rested his hand on her hip. A full display of them being husband and wife for around them to see. Only they weren’t that anymore.

She’d gotten an emailed copy of the signed divorce papers before she’d even left the house to come to Wil and Anabell’s engagement party along with the letter from the judge to state the divorce settlement date; it was all done and dusted.

The invite for this party was on the fridge in her house, and she’d nearly forgotten about it. She had read it when getting a drink from the fridge this morning after getting home from Calvin's office, and she had even debated with herself about attending tonight, but it was addressed to both of them. She also liked Anabell, and they had coffee twice a week, sometimes dinner.

So why should she be deprived of seeing her friend being happy at her engagement party? Just to let Calvin be comfortable and not have to see her anymore. This party was large and being held in Wil’s penthouse apartment, which was just as big and plush as Calvin's was, so they could technically just go in different directions and likely not come across each other at all.

Wil, she knew, didn’t want a house or yard, and his apartment was close to his office and the courthouse. Anabell didn’t seem to care either, though this apartment did have four bedrooms; for when they wanted to start a family.

She could feel eyes on her as she moved about the party by herself. It was quite annoying to know that he was keeping track of her, when he was the one that had wanted the divorce. She wasn't keeping track of him, showing him that she was abiding by their divorce.

At one point, Anabell had leaned into her and linked an arm with her, much the same way she had done with Calvin earlier, and murmured softly to her, “What’d he do?” They were standing out on the balcony, where she’d gone to get away from the feeling of Calvin's gaze on her and to get some fresh air.

“It’s a really nice view.” Rin smiled at her.

“that bad huh. He’s…”

“It doesn’t matter, Anabell, this is your and Wil’s night,” she smiled at her. “Have fun and don’t concern yourself with anything that is not you and Wil. That’s how an engagement party is supposed to be. Now did you open the gift I brought you?”

“Not yet,” Anabell smiled. “We could do gifts now,” she stated, and tugged Rin back inside, and she felt it instantly, the moment they cleared the doors of the balcony, Calvin's eyes on her. She ignored it as Anabell pushed her towards a chair and told everyone it was time to open the gifts.

She perched herself on the arm of a chair and, to her annoyance, found Clavin standing right behind her a moment later. His mouth touched her ear softly. “You shouldn’t be so obviously annoyed, it’s not becoming of you.” he murmured.

Her jaw tightened, and she wondered what on earth made him think it was fine to be that close to her. She turned her face to his, and it was a mere inch away, and she heard Anabell call out “Kiss the girl, she’ll forgive you.”

A half-laugh escaped her, as she stared right at him, almost daringly so. That was the funniest thing she’d ever heard right this very minute, even though pain touched her heart at the same time. Because he would never, she turned her face away from his and shook her head at Anabell. “Open your gifts already.” She stated and ignored Calvin's presence right there behind her.

Rin wanted to tell him not to touch her. When his hand fell on her bare arm in a soft caress, he was going to play the loving doting husband all night long, it seemed, and if she got up right that minute and stalked away from him, or pushed his hand away, everyone in this room would know they were actually fighting. That was not something that was allowed in their marriage contract, which only actually ended when the divorce was finalized; it stated making a scene that would be considered unbecoming and was not to happen in public.

Then again, they were divorced, the paperwork was done and all they were waiting for was the cooling-off period, so to speak. Her eyes moved to his hand on her arm as his fingers brushed over them softly like they always did. Did it really matter what anyone thought anymore? They’d all find out soon enough.

“Don’t do it.” his mouth hit her ear in a soft murmur. “Let’s not ruin the party now.”

She stood a few minutes later, there were lots of presents to be opened, and headed for the bathroom. She stood in there and stared at her reflection. There was no smile on her face, and she actually looked annoyed, she realised. ‘You can do this.’ She murmured to herself. ‘It’s no different to those very first awkward times when you stood next to him, uncertain about being on his arm. Pull yourself together.’

She squared her shoulders and headed back out there, sat herself down right in front of Calvin and smiled. She’d learned how to look happy, long ago when she wasn’t. Now was the time to pull on that once more. Anabell got to her present and read the card out loud to everyone, then kind of hesitated at the end and then stated ‘from Marrin and Calvin.’ Though Rin knew his name was not on that card.

She also saw Wil look right at her, and she smiled right at him. He could see Calvin's name was not there, he would even know why she'd not put it on there, though Anabell wouldn't. Marrin had only written it today, lovely words about how happy they were going to be, and signed it Marrin, had left her last name off it as well as Calvin, when normally she would write Marrin & Calvin Reeves.

She watched Anabell open the gift and saw her eyes light up. “How did you get this? It’s sold out already. I couldn’t get a copy anywhere.”

It was the latest hard cover of her new book, Born Light & Dark, a fantasy fiction romance, the first in her three-book series to come out. “Open it,” Rin stated.

“No, you couldn’t have.” Anabell opened the cover, and her hand covered her mouth and she looked up at Will. He smiled down at her and read the words Anabell couldn’t seem to get out.

'Happy engagement Anabell and William. Let your love shine for each other always, delve into your passion and create for yourself a happy, loving life, with many sultry, steamy memories, Marilyn Riddley.'

“How?” Anabell finally managed to get out.

“I have my ways... and no, it wasn’t Calvin,” she stated, making sure those in the room didn’t think he had done this. “I met her a few days ago, I knew her from college, put a call in and told her you were a huge fan, and she gave me that from her own personal stock.”

“It was, hers. This was Marilyn Riddley’s?” Anabell turned her eyes to the book. “I’ll never bend a page.”

“Books are meant to be read, not gather dust. I’m certain she would want you to read that.” She reached out and tapped the bottom of the page, and right down there in tiny handwriting were the words ‘read me, M.R.’

Anabell hugged her tightly. “I love it, and I can’t believe you know her.”

She shrugged. “It’s a small world sometimes. Don’t ask. I won’t take you to meet her. She doesn’t do that, a bit of a recluse. Lives alone and away from the world.”

Rin said goodnight an hour later to both Anabell and Wil and stepped out of the apartment and into the hallway, and sighed a little to herself. Finally, she was away from Calvin's line of sight. She walked over to the elevator and pressed the button, only to hear the door open and close and Calvin state, “You shouldn’t leave without me, that’s a bit rude.”

“Why? We came separately, stay here. It’s not like they don’t all know you live here in the city and I live an hour away… It’s nothing unusual for me to leave before you do.” And it wasn’t.

“No, but I always walk you out. You didn’t even tell me you were leaving,” he muttered.

“Do I need to do that anymore?” She looked right at him. She’d never heard him mutter at her like that before. That was new to her. “I thought that we were...”

He had his hand clamped around her arm, and he was pulling her away from the door to Wil’s apartment before she could get the word 'Divorced' out. Pulled her all the way into the stairwell and banged the door shut. Then turned and looked down at her. “I don’t want you to state that in public, it’s not for public knowledge, Rin. It's not going to be announced right now either.”