chapter 42

DAMIEN

I burst the door open.

But I don't see an emergency. Or Dani.

I see Vanessa.

She stops leaning on the wall, startled to see me. A small smile draws on her lips as she moves closer to me, amusement on her face.

"You bad boy." She whispers. "Waiting for your wife to leave so that you can sneak in. You miss me, don't you?"

"Where's my wife?" I demand.

"She went to grab a bottle of wine. For me."

"Let me guess. You used the bottle of wine as a way to kick her out so that you could get some time alone with her husband in the washroom. Genius."

Vanessa moves past me and locks the door. She stands against the door, staring at me with a smirk.

"The bottle of wine was your wife's idea." She says. "And maybe this is the universe trying to get us together so that we can talk. We have a lot to talk about."

"Was Dani okay?" I ask sharply. "When she left?"

"Yeah." She nods. "More than okay, actually. Excited. Bubbly. Happy. She's always happy. Being with you makes her happy. The same way yo