32. Show Don’t Tell

Colton

"Okay, now I'm starting to worry," Wade mumbles, scratching his jaw as he sits down on the sun lounger next to me. "Whatever happened with Jane, I'm sure you can fix it."

"You sound just like Agnes, except with a British accent."

"Well, maybe we should try another accent next?"

"It doesn't matter. There's nothing to fix." I sent a marriage annulment form to Jane, along with a termination of our contract. Once she signs it, this whole thing will end once and for all. Jane will get her freedom along with the money I promised her and more.

"It doesn't look over, mate. I've never seen you like this. Ever. It's 2 p.m. on a Wednesday, and you're home. Has this ever happened before?"

I don't respond. Of course it's never happened. But then again, I don't even recognize myself anymore.

"You can't go from being madly in love to not speaking to each other. What the hell happened? And if it's your fault, you'd better start fixing it ASAP."

"Of course it's my fault," I spit. "And I can't fix it. The whole thing is too screwed up."

"I know a thing or two about screw-ups. Come on, tell me. Maybe I can help."

And so, despite wanting to put all this behind me, I tell him everything—except Jane's past. I would never share that secret. Why am I spilling my guts to Wade? Because he's the only friend I've got, and because I need to get it all out of my system.

"Okay," he says, tapping his chin when I finish. "Okay. We can probably fix it."

I scoff. "Are you kidding?"

"As I said, I know a thing or two about screwing up with the woman you love. And look at me," he says, showing me the ring on his fist. "I'm married to her now."

I growl, because there's nothing else I can muster.

"Do you want to win her back or not?"

My stomach twists. "I don't think I can."

"Sure you can, mate. What you need to do is put yourself out there. Show her that you love her. Make her see that you're not who she thinks you are."

I stomp my foot hard on the ground. "I already told her how I feel, why I did what I did. She doesn't care."

"Showher, mate. Don't tell her. Those are two very different things," he says, slapping my back.

I let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. How do I do that?"

He smirks. "You don't think I'm about to do all the work for you, now do you?" he says with a chuckle. "You've got to figure this out on your own. You know Jane better than I do. You must have learned how to speak to her and what will make her see that your feelings are strong."

I bite the inside of my cheek. "Okay. I can try."

"That's the spirit," he says, clasping his hands together. "Now, I've got to go. I left my wife on Rodeo Drive for"—He peeks at his watch—"two hours now. I'd better find her before she raids the entire street. Plus, we have a plane to catch."

"I wish I had your problem," I joke, feeling a spark of hope from his pep talk.

"Oh, I never said it was a problem." He flashes a bright smile while standing up. "It'll all work out. You'll see."

I'm not sure about that, but deep down, I really hope he's right.

Jane

My brain must be broken. With one signature, I could have everything I want—money and freedom. But for some reason, I can't bring myself to sign the documents he's already signed. What's wrong with me?

I keep reading and rereading the handwritten note that was in the manila envelope. "Because I love you and I would never want to hold you hostage. You're the one holding all the power."

I read the annulment form and the termination of contract again. Not that I really need to—I already know it by heart. The annulment form has been completely filled, and I just have to sign. It states that I entered the marriage as a result of fraud. Which is true, but I also knew about it. What would even happen if I signed, and he never disclosed the contract we had to the court? Would Colton go to jail?

The contract termination is more straightforward. It says that both parties agree to end the contract prematurely, and it quantifies the massive penalties attached to it, all on Colton's end. It's a lot of money. Way more than I was supposed to get had we fulfilled the original contract.

My head falls into my palms. I should sign this, have a fresh start. Try to get my career on track. I could even ask Amelia Brown if she still had an available part in her play.

But I can't even picture myself on stage. I no longer feel the same tingles of excitement when I think about Broadway. Colton broke me beyond repair.

And the audacity to ask for an annulment! To pretend this entire thing never happened. Well, it did happen. And maybe it isn't a big deal for him—he got what he wanted out of it, after all—but it is for me. I can't just hit cancel on such a huge part of my life. I can't just delete Colton. But I know I have no choice. He's moving on, and I have to do the same.

Colton

Once Wade's words finally sank in, and I turned them over in my head, an idea came to me. I'm not sure if it's going to work, but it's the only move I have. My last shot.

Which is why I'm currently in one of the last places I ever thought I'd be. In the offices of LA Business News with Maggie Kirk, their head reporter, with two massive cameras pointed at us.

"I'm so glad you reached out," Maggie says as the camera crew prepares to start rolling. "I've been trying to get you in here for a while now."

Don't I know it. She's been calling my PR team every month, hoping to interview me. It's not that I don't do interviews. I just steer clear of those where most of the questions are geared toward my personal life. I don't do sensational journalism. Or at least, I didn't until now. "What can I say? People change their minds."

"Great," she says with a clap. "Have you read the questions I prepared? Are you comfortable with all of them?"

"I am. As long as the interview is posted online right away, I will answer all of your questions."

She flashes a sparkling LA smile. "It will. The editors will work on it right after we're done, and it'll be online tonight."

"Let's get going, then."

She signals to the camera crew that we're ready, and the lead videographer cues her to start the interview. First, we talk about my company and the Love Connected app. I explain how the algorithm works and highlight the success we've seen with it. Stuff I could talk about in my sleep.

"And you're living proof that it works," she says, flashing her bleached-white teeth. "You met your wife through the app."

"I did," I say, adjusting my tie. "She's the best person I know, and meeting her has changed my life."

"I'm sure she's a lucky woman. Oh, and I heard through the grapevine that you're about to take the Middle East market by storm. Congratulations!"

I clear my throat. "Actually, that's not correct. We've toyed with the idea of expanding, but we put an end to those talks. Falling in love and getting married put things in perspective for me. Actually, I'm planning to develop a deeper and more personalized service."

Her brown eyes widen, showcasing their curious sparkle. "Oh, consider me intrigued."

"I can't say much now. We're still in the very early stages. But it will be a lot more focused, with a higher accuracy rate. It's no easy task to find that one person who makes your heart soar. Who makes you forget about everything and anything else. Who you'd be willing to give it all up for. I found that person, and I want to make sure everyone gets a shot at the same thing, because it's so worth it."