Chapter 50: 25: Unraveling Threads

SHAY

Shay’s day unfolded as usual the next day. After Sky’s departure, Ethan had been keeping his distance, focusing more on the twins, which made Shay proud.

But when Ian arrived and everyone else was asleep, Shay couldn’t hold back her tears. She confided in Ian, revealing the painful truth. Ian was taken aback by the revelation of her husband’s infidelity, and Shay could tell he was eager to see their sister. She didn’t stop him.

She knew that her brothers hadn’t seen Sky in ages and missed her. After all, they were siblings who had grown up close to each other.

“Is everything set for Fashion Week?” Shay asked Dario, who had FaceTimed her a few minutes earlier.

“Absolutely, everything’s tailored and ready for the runway. Speaking of which, NaturesEx emailed today. They want to know if you can close the show,” Dario asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Isn’t Wesley closing?” Shay asked, surprised. They had planned their lineup weeks ago and the list of models had been released along with the outfits they were paired with.

“I’d love to, but won’t Wesley be upset?” Shay asked. Wesley was a top supermodel known for her diva-like behavior. With her fiery red hair, freckles dotting her cheekbones, and a gap between her front teeth, Wesley was the envy of the modeling world.

“I have some juicy news,” Dario said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Shay’s ears perked up, curious about the latest gossip in the city.

“What’s the scoop?”

“Wesley is pregnant. She’s been hiding it under baggy clothes, but now her belly is showing. She’s pulled out of all the runways, and I heard she asked Jason if she could borrow his jet,” Dario shared excitedly.

“What?” Shay gasped, her eyes wide with shock. “Wait, didn’t she say she was getting her tubes tied? I remember her saying she wanted her career to last longer,” Shay recalled their conversation from earlier in the year.

“Yeah, she asked Jason to borrow the jet. She wants to go away for a while, maybe back to Ireland?” Dario suggested.

~Ding dong.~

Shay glanced at the front door, puzzled. She wasn’t expecting anyone. “Hold on, D. Someone’s at my door. I’ll call you back,” Shay said.

“Okay, love you babe,” Dario said before hanging up. Shay rose from her table and walked to the door, wondering who it could be.

Peeking through the slightly opened door, she saw Adam standing there. She sighed and opened the door wider, shaking her head in disapproval.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. He was casually dressed in a polo shirt and khaki shorts, clearly just back from golfing. His face was flushed and he was panting as if he had run over.

Quickly, Shay hit record on her phone and slipped it into her back pocket.

“What the hell is this?” he asked, holding up an opened, thick, brown envelope.

“Divorce papers,” Shay said bluntly, keeping her hand on the door to make it clear he wasn’t welcome inside.

“You want a divorce now?” he asked, his tone sincere and different from how he had been acting for the past month. It took her by surprise. It was as if her husband had returned to her.

“Yes, have your lawyer look it over,” Shay said calmly, looking at the man she thought she would spend her life with. She loved him and knew she always would, but things between them were too complicated and damaged. She didn’t know how to fix them and didn’t want to. Not anymore.

“I don’t want a divorce, I love you,” he said, taking a step closer. She stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“No, you’re not coming in. Let me know what you need and I’ll have your assistant pick it up,” Shay said, stopping him.

“Can we just sit and talk?” he asked, taking a few steps back when he got the hint.

“Fine,” Shay sighed, turning back to check on Nate. Seeing that he was still asleep and Ian was in the house, she faced the reality of the situation. She stepped forward and closed the door behind her.

Leaning against the pillar next to the doorway, Shay crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him. He stood a few feet away, looking back at her. He seemed different, as if she was seeing him clearly for the first time.

Maybe she had been too preoccupied with Ethan reentering her life, raising the twins, or dealing with the miscarriage, but he had changed.

“You need to review the divorce papers and sign them so we can start the process,” Shay said coldly. She knew what she wanted and nothing could change her mind now.

“I love you. Can’t we try to work this out?” he pleaded.

“Are you still seeing my sister?” Shay asked, her voice hard.

“I’m in love with both of you. You’re the same person,” he tried to reason with her, his brows furrowed.

“You’re still seeing my sister,” she said, standing straighter as her anger began to rise. “You remodel your apartment without telling me, then invite or allow my sister to stay with you. You expect me to be okay with you fucking my sister?” Shay asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“You and Sky are the same person. It’s not like I’m dating a completely different person,” he argued, repeating the same excuse he had given since his confession.

“What’s my deal breaker?” Shay asked, recalling their earlier conversation about what they could and couldn’t tolerate in their relationship.

“Cheating,” he answered, shaking his head and rubbing his temple.

“You know what,” Shay sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. “No, I want to know how long you’ve been seeing my sister.” He was silent for a moment before sighing. She could tell he felt defeated. It was written all over his face.

“Please, I love you,” he begged.

“If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t have slept with someone else. If you loved me, you would’ve communicated your sexual needs to me, rather than seeking satisfaction elsewhere. You may not see it as cheating, but I do,” she asserted.

“We can mend what’s broken between us,” he pleaded.

“No, we can’t,” she responded.

“We can overcome anything. I love you and I always will. Nothing can alter that,” Adam declared. Shay exhaled deeply, her gaze dropping to her feet. She didn’t want to engage in this conversation.

“Do you still love me?” he asked. Lifting her gaze to meet his, Shay studied his face. Furrowing her brow, she cleared her throat and averted her eyes.

“Shay?” His voice echoed surprise at her reaction.

“You will always be Nate’s father, but no. Over these past few weeks, I’ve realized that I’m happier. We could’ve made it work, but right now, I don’t want to.”

“Not after you cheated on me, and with my twin sister of all people. There’s no ‘us’ anymore. If you still insist that Sky and I are interchangeable, then you should have no problem continuing our relationship with her.

“If you truly believe that, it shouldn’t be a challenge for you. In fact, it should mean nothing to you,” Shay confessed.

“What?” he asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Shay stated.

“We can sort this out, please let me give it a try,” he begged once more.

“If you don’t leave, I’ll get a restraining order against you,” Shay warned, her tone icy.

The shock on his face was a sight to behold.

“Wait,” she said, halting him. His eyes sparked with hope at her interruption.

“Did you send a letter to Ethan? Before he first came to our house?” Shay inquired.

She had been pondering who could have sent the letter, given that not many people knew the identity of the twins’ father. After some thought, Shay had narrowed it down to two suspects: Sky or her own husband.

His face froze, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She knew he was the culprit, but she didn’t want to know his reasons. Shay shook her head in disappointment.

“Leave,” she commanded.

With a quick nod, Adam retreated and walked back to his car. Shay felt a wave of relief wash over her as she watched him get into his car and drive away before she reentered the house.

“He got the papers?” Ian inquired, emerging from her office.

“Yes,” Shay confirmed, locking the door behind her.

The rest of the day proceeded smoothly. Shay pushed the thought of divorce to the back of her mind. She didn’t want to dwell on why he had written the letter, even though she knew she would eventually question him about it.

She preferred to focus on raising her children and working. After ensuring the twins were fed and Nate was changed, Shay let Ian put the twins to bed before she left for the city.

Noticing the light flick on in the studio at the back, Shay knew Ethan had returned. He had been tied up with work and meetings for the past few days. He had texted her earlier to say he would be staying over, and she had responded with a simple ‘okay’.

Their relationship was improving. Spending all their time with their twins had eased the awkwardness. She no longer dreaded his visits or the time he spent with the kids. She knew she had forgiven him.

Heading downstairs, Shay picked up the warm towel from the bottom of the stairs before making her way to the studio at the back. Despite it being her house, she didn’t want to intrude on his space.

~Knock knock.~

Shay knocked before entering. His back was to the door, his tie hung loosely around his neck, his shirt untucked. As he turned around, his face showed signs of exhaustion, but his smile reached his eyes when he saw her.

“Hey,” he greeted, his gaze drifting to the fresh towels in her hands.

“Here,” she said, handing them to him. “Fresh from the laundry.”

She could already smell the comforting scent of fresh linen and lavender from the laundry detergent.

“Thanks. Are the twins asleep?” he asked, setting the fresh towels down on a chair.

She smiled, touched by his concern for the twins. She knew how much she loved them, and it warmed her heart.

“Yes, they went to bed about an hour ago,” she replied, standing awkwardly in place.

“I wanted to get back earlier but got held up in a meeting. Have you had dinner?” he asked as he began to unpack.

“Uh, yes. I saved some for you. It’s in the fridge. I made masala curry, cucumber salad, and rice. Just some Indian food,” Shay informed him.

She was introducing a variety of foods into her twins’ diet, and ensuring they were open to dishes from different cultures was a significant part of her parenting approach, even if it meant cooking everything from scratch.

“That sounds great. I’m actually quite hungry,” he admitted.

“I’ll go warm it up for you. I need to talk to you, too,” Shay said.

Without waiting for a response, she exited the room and headed to her kitchen.

Her mind was surprisingly blank as she retrieved the food from the fridge. She removed the cling wrap covering the food and placed the entire plate in the microwave. As she stood in front of the microwave, she gathered her thoughts.

She knew she needed to discuss the divorce with Ethan before bringing it up with the kids.

“Is everything okay? You seem a bit out of it,” Ethan remarked, taking a seat at the kitchen island.

She hadn’t even heard him come in.

“Yes,” she replied, nodding her head.

Ding!

She took the hot plate out of the microwave, quickly piled some rice from the rice cooker onto it, and then fetched the salad from the fridge. As she set the plate in front of him, he seemed lost in thought.

Shay stood beside the kitchen island as he savored the aroma of the food. She smiled, knowing he enjoyed Indian food. They had discovered his love for it while they were dating.

“Adam and I are getting a divorce,” Shay announced.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Ethan’s spoon clattered onto the plate as he stared at her.

“Yes,” she confirmed, nodding her head slowly.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m actually doing well,” she confessed.

Smiling, she glanced down at her finger. Her wedding ring was still there. Using her other hand, she twisted the ring off and placed it on the kitchen island.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

“No, there’s nothing to discuss. I filed for divorce. I’m done with him and Sky,” she explained.

“I know it’s not my place, but,” he paused, looking at her in awe, “do you still love him?”

“Not the way I imagined, or not in the same way,” she admitted.

He simply nodded, seemingly at a loss for words, his gaze locked on hers as they both stared at the ring lying between them.

“Do you ever love him the way you loved me?” he dared to ask, challenging her to respond.

“Eth,” she cautioned, turning away from him in an attempt to put some space between them.

A familiar sensation began to stir in Shay’s stomach, her heart fluttering in response.

As she started to walk away, she felt his hand encircle her waist. In a swift motion, she was pulled into his arms, her body crashing against his firm chest. His other hand cradled her face as he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips.

Shay gasped in surprise at his bold move, feeling his lips against hers. Her eyes widened as his tongue slipped past her moist lips, moving in sync as she surrendered to him. As she kissed him back, the familiar sensation transported her back to his house, his kitchen.

Her hands found their way to his neck, matching his fervor as she kissed him back with equal passion. Her body began to heat up as his hand ventured down to her backside, cupping it.

A soft moan escaped her lips as she tilted her head back slightly. Feeling his smile against her lips, Shay found herself panting as she pulled away.

Seizing the opportunity, his lips began to explore her exposed neck. Her fingers tangled in his hair, relishing the sensation of his lips on her skin.

She had always loved the feel of him against her skin—it was her own personal addiction. “Ethan…” she breathed his name.

“Baby,” he groaned. The hardness of his arousal pressed against her stomach.

His grip on her tightened as he lifted her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. He gently set her down on the kitchen island, his lips never leaving her neck.

“Eth…” Shay murmured his name, gently pushing him away before starting to unbutton his shirt.

“Damn… I can’t hold back anymore,” Ethan grumbled, hastily undoing his pants and freeing himself.