Two Hearts

Did I Ruin Everything?

Daniel POV

The moment Laura slammed the office door behind her, I knew I'd made a mistake.

A huge mistake.

I'm such an i***t.

That was the first coherent thought that entered my mind. Because whose fault had any of this been? Certainly not Laura's.

She had simply come to tell me that Chris wanted to take the kids for the weekend. She didn't even have to tell me. Technically, it wasn't any of my business. But she'd come anyway. Because she was trying.

And how had I responded?

Like a complete i***t.

The office suddenly felt too quiet. A few minutes ago Laura had been standing right there. Now she was gone.

And somehow the marriage certificate wasn't the biggest problem in the room anymore.

I stared at the door she'd walked through. Then at the rings. Then back at the door.

Brilliant.

Absolutely brilliant, Carter.

I sighed and dragged a hand through my hair.

I hated that habit.

Every time I was stressed, uncomfortable, nervous, or things weren't going according to plan, I did it.

Eventually, I did the only thing that felt remotely logical. I called my father. The phone barely rang once before he answered.

"Wow. To what do I owe the honor of receiving a call from my son?" There was genuine surprise in his voice.

Not surprising. Lately I called him about as often as I answered his calls—which was roughly one out of ten.

I sighed.

"I don't know what to do."

Silence.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked suspiciously.

"I don't understand women."

His laughter exploded through the phone.

"Welcome to the male population, son."

"This isn't funny."

That only made him laugh harder.

"I'm serious."

Eventually he calmed down.

"All right. What happened?"

I leaned back in my chair.

"I don't understand Laura."

That immediately got his attention. The laughter disappeared.

"What did you do now?"

"Why is it automatically me?"

"Because statistically speaking, it usually is."

I closed my eyes.

"That's not helpful."

"Answer the question."

I sighed.

"I found the marriage certificate and the rings."

"And?"

"And she walked in at the wrong moment."

Another pause.

"And?"

"I told her she could've warned me."

The silence lasted two full seconds.

Then—

"Oh my God, Daniel."

I winced.

"I wasn't even angry."

"That's worse."

I sat up straighter.

"How is that worse?"

"Because when you're angry, people know what's happening." Another pause. "When you're calm, you're terrifying."

That landed harder than I expected.

In business? Maybe. At work? Definitely.

But at home?

With Laura? Was I really that bad?

Apparently yes.

Before I could defend myself further, my father decided to make my day even better.

"Anyway, stop feeling sorry for yourself."

I narrowed my eyes.

"What now?"

"I arranged the photoshoot."

Silence.

I blinked.

"You what?"

"I arranged the photoshoot," he repeated casually, as if he'd just bought a new couch. "We need to discuss the details."

I rubbed my forehead.

Of course he had. And before I could think through my words, I heard myself saying,

"Come for dinner tomorrow."

Silence.

Then—

"Really?"

"Yes."

Another pause.

"Should I bring a helmet?"

I groaned.

"Father."

He laughed.

"I'm kidding."

"No, you're not."

"No, I'm not."

At least he was honest.

"Tomorrow. Dinner."

"Fine."

Then his tone softened.

"Good luck."

The call ended.

And only then did I realize the actual problem.

Laura - How exactly was I supposed to tell her?

I spent the next twenty minutes pacing around the first floor like a complete lunatic. Every time I convinced myself to go upstairs, I turned around and walked the other direction - Kitchen. Living room. Hallway. Office.

Repeat.

At some point I became annoyed with myself. I was acting like a teenage boy being summoned to the principal's office.

For God's sake.

She's just a woman.

And that was exactly the problem. She wasn't. Laura was nothing like any woman I'd ever known.

Nothing like the women I'd dated. Nothing like the women I'd spent time with. Nothing like the women who usually occupied my life.

She argued. She challenged me. She never backed down. She never tried to impress me. Never asked me for anything. Never treated me like I was some kind of prize.

And for reasons I still couldn't explain, that made her infinitely more difficult to deal with.

I took a deep breath.

Enough.

I was a grown man.

I could handle one conversation.

Probably.

I headed upstairs. The closer I got to her room, the worse the panic became. By the time I reached her door, I was reconsidering every decision that had brought me there. I stood outside for what felt like forever.

Five minutes.

Maybe ten.

Eventually, I knocked.

Then immediately regretted it.

A moment later the door opened. Laura stood there. She looked surprised. Maybe still angry. Probably both.

Before she could say anything, I spoke first.

"My father arranged a photoshoot."

Silence.

Laura blinked.

Once.

Twice.

I sighed.

"And apparently we're having dinner with him tomorrow."

More silence.

Then she crossed her arms. And the look she gave me told me exactly what she thought of my brilliant opening.

"That's your apology?"

I stared at her.

Because somehow, impossibly, that hadn't even occurred to me. And judging by the look on her face...

I definitely should have.