Unbound, Boundless Series, Book 2

Chapter Ten

Chelsea called me early on Wednesday morning. I was in the bathroom getting my hair just right, knowing full well the day's humidity would make it impossible to tame.

"Hi," she said excitedly when I answered. "Are you ready for your meeting with Matt?"

"Not really," I admitted. "I'd rather figure out how to get out of this but I'm running into brick walls. If my attorney tells me I can't, then I have to go through with this craziness."

"Have you talked to Matt?

"Not since, I video chatted with him on Sunday when I cursed him out for paying off the Brassi debt."

"Hold up. What do you mean he paid the Brassi debt?"

"Oh. I guess with the shit I'm dealing with, I forgot to tell you yesterday. On Friday, he paid off the debt to Ben. Over ninety-thousand dollars paid. Ben's attorney filed it with the court. I'm free of Ben, but not free from Matt."

"Holy crap, Perla. Matt's freakin' incredible."

I smirked even if she couldn't see it. "I'm tired of talking about him. I'm tired of thinking about him. I'm nervous to see him, especially with this unusual proposal. I never thought of marrying someone under these circumstances. This whole thing is absurd. It's like a made-for-TV movie." I admitted.

"Maybe you should talk to him before the meeting."

"It's never a good idea to meet with the opposing party before a business deal, especially without legal counsel."

"You and your business learnin'. Cut the shit, and call him."

"I'm scared."

"You're marrying the guy. What are you scared of?"

"I'm afraid this is all some elaborate plan to gaslight me enough to be committed..."

"Perla, that's nonsense! He loves you. I can tell."

"What's ridiculous is the way he's trying to win me back. I can't believe we're discussing a non-traditional marriage. I love him. I couldn't turn it off when I walked out the door, but I want him to win me back with dinners, a stroll in the park, a flower he brings to me because it reminded him of me, to lay down in bed on Sunday morning with coffee at our bedside tables reading the Globe. We never got to do those things, and he's demanding me to spend the rest of my life, well... Five years of my life, with him and we don't know if we're compatible personality-wise. Do we have kids? I'll be thirty-three years old if I decide to divorce him, and how do I start over? There are so many 'what ifs', and I can't think straight."

"Perla, there are 'what ifs' in my marriage. There were 'what ifs' when you were married to Ben, and sweetie, it didn't last. The common denominator between you is your love for each other. The sex is fantastic. You didn't argue before you found out about what he did. Yeah, I want to knock his block off, but he loves you. I know it. You love him too. You're good for each other. You're so damn stubborn he knew this was the only way to get you to stop and listen. Keep me posted." Her signature move of hanging up for emphasis was executed perfectly.

After the phone call with Chelsea, I steeled myself for the meeting. I dressed in my most professional dress, a cream sheath with nude heels. However, I put a pair of flats in my purse for after the meeting. I couldn't possibly give tours in high heels. I took a brown cardigan because the weather called for a chilly morning. I grabbed my purse and headed out.

After stepping outside the front entrance, I was greeted by a snapping wind on what had been an extremely hot summer. It was sunny, and I found it oddly ironic the birds chirped and the usually quiet street was buzzing with activity. I set off toward the bus stop when I heard, "Hi". There was no mistaking the voice. It was the voice that turned my insides into a quivering mess of goop.