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“Yeah, it was I never would have done that to you!” They hadn’t discussed any of it since the initial explosion of a breakup when Brad had confessed the affair and Ben had ht “We pretend to be friends at work like everything is just fine It’s ridiculous! It’s not fine What you did is not fine and it never will be”

“I wish I could change it I really do But I’m not sorry we broke up”

The unearthed hurt piled up, resent his throat “Good to know Thanks”

“Ben, it could never have—”

He exhaled sharply “Let’s just get this done What do you need to know?”

Sighing, Brad pulled out his phone and tapped at it He stared at the screen for a long fewup, his face drawn and tired “We weren’t happy together We weren’t happy for a long time It doesn’t excuse what I did I know that But shit, Ben Don’t you want to be happy?”

He stared at that fa brows over wide-set green eyes Laugh lines that had been etched beside Brad’sas Ben had known hilass at a country bar in college when a fight broke out

Brad sed thickly “I don’t think we ever really fit right But we sure loved each other So we stayed together years longer than we should have And I’lad it did You are too Maybe you don’t want to admit it, but you are”

Ben’s resolve started to cru

Brad stepped closer, beseeching “I want you to be happy I want you to find what I have God, being a father, it’s everything you’ve iined and—”

“Don’t” He gritted out, “Don’t throw that in my face”

“That’s not what I’ to do,” Brad pleaded

“You didn’t want kids with h, but he is”

“No That’s not true I didn’t want kids with you because I kneouldn’t fix us It would have been a distraction for a while, but it wouldn’t have changed the fact that eren’t right together I didn’t want a child caught in the middle of that”