“No, but I’m not trying to solve anything here, Nichole. I’m grasping for any sort of control. I could move into a hotel or a short-term Airbnb. I know that. But I already feel so untethered here in LA. At least staying here for the next few weeks—around things that are somewhat familiar—will provide some solace. I have time to pack up my stuff and work out where I go next.” Probably Chicago. “But because he won’t sign the papers until after the wedding, I need boundaries. Without boundaries, without these rules, I don’t think I’ll mentally survive living here. I don’t want to slip back into a lifestyle that wasn’t healthy for either one of us.” I hate feeling so backed into a corner.

She slowly nods. “I know, sweetie. But . . . I just hate to see it go down like this.”

“It didn’t have to,” I say. “But he initiated this with what happened between us last night.”

“So what you’re saying is . . . in lack of a better term, this is war?”

I roll my eyes. “That seems a bit extreme.”

“Taking his car away because you’re the one who charges it is a bit extreme as well, don’t you think?”

“Nichole,” I groan. “Don’t make me look like the bitch in this scenario.”

“You’re not.” Nichole holds up her hands. “Not even a little. Your feelings are valid. The dismissal on his end has been seen and heard. I just want you to be prepared because, the moment he walks through the door and you throw down the gauntlet, you know he won’t go down easy. He’ll come out swinging, and you need to be ready for that. He’s already started fighting back. Not to mention, there’s clear intention behind his willingness to grant you a divorce so easily after the wedding. He’s already in this battle. I think you might just be joining it.”

“Trust me, I thought about this all night. If I put just enough distance between us, I can save what little pieces of my broken heart are left.”

“By bringing fuel to the flame of this divorce war?”

“Better to be mad at each other than whatever the hell last night was. My battered heart can’t take his mouth on me, his hands all over me, and the promise of the heat of his body.”

She’s silent for a moment.

If any two people in this world know me best, it’s Nichole and Ryot. They know the uphill climb I’ve ascended my whole life. Nichole especially understands how meeting Ryot transformed my life. That uphill climb started to plateau. He carried the baggage I was carrying. With and for me. As he promised. He’s been my comfort. My rock. My everything.

But also . . . my downfall.

He can so easily break me, so I need to keep my distance. I don’t want to exit this marriage completely shattered.

“Well.” Nichole stands and claps her hands together. “If this is a divorce gone completely wrong, might as well do it right.”