Starter Wife (The Jilted Wives Club Book 1) by Bethany Lopez (a court of thorns and roses ebook free TXT) 📕

fraction, I caught her gaze and asked, “Can I mention something without freaking you out?”

“Um, sure…”

“I know you want to take things slow, and I hope the pace we’ve been keeping has worked for you. But, Whitney, these last few weeks have been great. I really like you and I love spending time with you, so, with the risk of scaring you a bit, I’d like your permission to slap a label on this thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exclusivity,” I told her, watching her closely for any indication she was about to bolt. “I don’t want to see anyone else, and I’d like it if you didn’t see anyone else either.”

“I’m not seeing anyone else,” she said quickly.

“Me neither, not since the moment we met,” I told her honestly. “And I’d like to keep it that way. I’d also like to meet your kids, if you’re up for it.”

Whitney took a deep breath and paused, before asking, “Can I think about it?”

“Of course,” I said easily, because frankly, I was just ecstatic her answer hadn’t been no.

Seventeen

Whitney

I moved through the house, picking up discarded sweaters, notebooks, and anything else the kids had left lying around throughout the day.

It was my nightly ritual and I found it soothing.

I liked to make sure the house was straightened, all the dishes were done, and everything was in its place before I went to bed, because I enjoyed waking up to a clean house. It helped me start my day off on a positive note.

I discovered this little tidbit about myself during the last year. When I’d wake up to a mess, I was generally grumpy and annoyed from the get-go. I’d found this out the hard way, because after Marco had moved out, there had been many days of lounging in my pajamas, eating junk food, and binge watching tv. The house was always a disaster and I was always in a bad mood.

Sure, the fact that I was going through a divorce also played a part in my sour mood but being dirty and living in filth didn’t help.

One day I woke up and decided the days of wallowing were over and that’s when my new routine had begun, and I’d honestly been much happier since. Sure, there was the odd day where I was run ragged and fell into bed exhausted without making my rounds through the house, but since I maintained the cleanliness, it wasn’t a big deal.

The kids were pretty good about picking up after themselves, but their standard of clean wasn’t the same as mine.

I blew out the candle I’d lit in the living room while I was reading on my chaise and turned off the lights as I exited the room. Once up the stairs, I popped my head in the media room to see both Stella and Si sitting on the couch watching TV.

It wasn’t unusual for them to hang out together, but now that they were older and constantly busy, it was rare.

“Hey, what are you watching?” I asked as I stepped inside.

“A scary movie,” Silas said, without looking away from the television.

“Us,” Stella clarified.

“Is it good?”

They both gave noncommittal replies, so I knew I was probably bothering them, but because it was hard to get them together at the same time, I asked, “Can you pause it for a sec?”

Stella reached for the remote and stopped the movie and they both looked at me expectantly.

“What’s up?” Silas asked.

I crossed the room and sat on one of the foot stools.

After clearing my throat nervously, I folded my hands in my lap and said, “I wanted to let you both know that I’m seeing someone … dating someone … a man.”

Stella laughed at my awkward delivery, but Silas narrowed his eyes.

“Like, seriously?” he asked.

“Well, it started out very casual. In fact, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see him, or anyone for that matter; I didn’t feel ready. But we took things slow and went on a couple dates, and now, I really like him.”

“Okay, so you’re just dating,” my son clarified.

It took me a second, but I realized what he must have been concerned about. Since his dad had jumped right into marriage, giving my kids an immediate stepmom, Silas was probably worried a new stepdad was next.

“Yes, sweetie, we’re only dating. I’m not ready to get married again … I’m not even sure I ever will be. But I’ve been seeing Luca and we’ve decided to be exclusive, so I figured it was time to let you both know about him.”

“How did you meet him?” Stella asked.

“We work together, but I actually met him the week before I started at the firm. The first night I was out with Margo and Summer.”

“Is he nice to you?” Silas asked.

“Yes, he really is,” I replied with a smile as I thought of Luca. “He’s sweet and funny. He’s got this big Italian family, who I have not met, but he talks about all the time. He’s a really great cook and he’s fun to be around.”

“Cool,” Si replied, apparently satisfied with my answer.

“He’d actually like to meet you guys,” I said, studying their faces for a reaction. “And I should tell you now, he’s younger than me. Not Crystal young,” I amended, speaking of their stepmom, “but about thirteen years younger.”

Stella’s eyes widened a bit, but she simply asked, “Is he cute?”

“Very,” I admitted with a grin.

“When will we meet him?” she asked.

“I wanted to make sure you were both okay with meeting him before I committed to anything, but I’ll let you know.”

“Sounds good, just give me time to put in a request at work or get someone to cover my shift.”

“I will. Si?”

“Yeah, Mom, it’s cool. Just let me know when.”

I released a deep sigh and said gratefully, “Thanks. You guys are the best.”

“Sure thing, Mom. You deserve to be happy,” Silas said, melting my heart.

“Totally,” Stella agreed. “Want to watch the movie with us?”

I hated scary movies with a passion and would