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

happy we all were, and all I could think about was how hard they’d always worked and how much they deserved this.

My mind was still reeling as I got off the elevator on my floor.

Instead of going straight to my door, I bypassed and walked down the hall to knock on Mr. B’s door.

As usual, it opened immediately, like he’d been waiting on the other side.

“Hey, Mr. B, I got some food for you,” I said, holding up the Tupperware of leftovers my ma had put together for him.

“Any cake?” he asked as he took it out of my hand.

“Cannoli,” I told him.

“Nice. You wanna come in for a drink?” he asked, like he always did.

“You bet,” I replied.

It was our usual ritual, at least on the days I made it to my parents for Sunday dinner.

“How was their trip to Italy?” Mr. B asked as I followed him inside.

“You’re not going to believe it…”

Nineteen

Whitney

“I hope you don’t mind, I invited Luca to stop by for dessert and a drink. We have decided to see each other exclusively, and in an effort to include him more in my life, I’m introducing him to people who are important to me. First you guys … and then my kids.”

“Wow, things are getting serious,” Margo said, her eyebrows going up in surprise.

“Aww, we’re important to you?” Summer cooed, locking on to a different point than Margo.

I grinned at Summer and said, “Of course you are. It’s funny, we’ve only known each other a couple months, but I feel closer to you two than I did with any of the women I associated with while I was married. The couples who we golfed with and had playdates with. The ones who acted like we’d gotten divorced along with my husband.”

“Sound like a bunch of bitches,” Margo muttered.

I chuckled as I thought of the women who talked behind each other’s backs, snuck vodka in their water bottles, and were generally unhappy with their lives.

“Not all of them. I’d say for the most part they’re simply miserable. Waking up every day to live the same life … do the exact same things. I’ve been there, so now I just feel sorry for them. It’s hard for them to relate to me now, because I got out, and they’re still stuck doing the same things.”

“Well, I think you’re better off,” Summer said sunnily. “You’ve got great friends who have your back, a hot boyfriend, and two great kids. Plus, a job you love. Looks to me like that divorce was the best thing that ever happened to you.”

I’d had them over to my house a couple times now and they got along wonderfully with my kids. Stella thought Margo was amazing and I was pretty sure Silas had a crush on Summer.

“Agreed,” Margo said, lifting her glass in a toast before downing the contents.

We were at a Thai place, so we’d all opted for draft beers to accompany the food, which we’d all ordered to be made spicy.

“Ohmygrrrr,” I moaned after I took a bite of my panang curry. It was creamy and seasoned perfectly with a light coconut flavor. Absolutely delicious.

“I know, right … I love this place,” Summer said as she twirled her fork in her pad Thai noodles.

“Hey, didn’t you say you were going on a couple dates last weekend?” Margo asked Summer in between bites.

Summer scrunched up her nose.

“Uh-oh, that good, huh?” I asked.

Summer sighed and put down her fork.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she groaned. “These guys aren’t terrible or anything. Well, I mean, not all of them are terrible. A couple of them have been sweet and funny, but for some reason there’s just no connection there.”

Summer looked between us, her green eyes wide and a little glossy, as if she was tearing up.

“I was so excited to get back out there, you know? Once I met Jared, I thought I was done with first kisses. And I love kissing, so the thought of meeting new men, dating again, and having first kisses was one of the only positive aspects of starting over. But, out of all the guys I’ve met, there hasn’t been one I’ve wanted to kiss. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Nothing’s wrong with you,” Margo said forcefully. “You’re amazing. A light in an otherwise cloudy day. And if you don’t feel chemistry with someone, you can’t force it, and you don’t need to. There’s no rush. Take your time, enjoy yourself, and don’t feel like you have to kiss any frogs. Frogs are disgusting, vile creatures, and don’t deserve your attention.”

Summer’s eyes welled at Margo’s words.

“She’s right,” I added. “I know the loneliness can be hard, especially when you’re used to spending all your time with your significant other, but don’t force it. Maybe you aren’t ready to be dating again, and that’s okay. You have us for companionship, whenever you need it.”

“I love you guys! The Jilted Wives Club is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Summer said tearfully. “I don’t know what I’d do without you guys. I think the fact that Jared cheated on me with someone older than me, a woman who looks a lot like his first wife, and the opposite of me, was messing with my head. Of course everyone has questions and doubts after a breakup, but I couldn’t help but wonder if there’s something wrong with me. I mean, he was obsessed with me when we met, so much so that he left his wife for me and married me in a whirlwind, but he left me just as quickly. Maybe I wasn’t enough, and he didn’t realize it until it was too late.”

“Hey,” Margo said fiercely, bringing Summer’s eyes to her. “There is nothing wrong with you. None of it was about you. It sounds like Jared is one of those assholes who is never satisfied with what he has and is always looking for what’s next. That’s on him, not