Unexpected Interruptions by Trice Hickman Page B

were having problems shortly after the wedding, but you didn’t tell me that you tried to end things six months ago,” Victoria said with surprise.
    â€œYeah, well, it’s been crazy and I didn’t want to bother you with it again. I felt bad when I dropped that news on you a few weeks after we got married. You’d just broken up with . . . well, you were goin’ through some shit of your own. So I decided this time I’d deal with things myself.”
    â€œYou’re such a knucklehead. After all we’ve been through together, you know you can count on me to be there for you. No matter what.”
    â€œI know, I just thought it was something I could handle on my own. But after last night, I knew it was over. Her attitude was fucked up.” He paused. “I should’ve made her apologize to you on the spot. I’m sorry for that.”
    Victoria leaned over and patted him on the knee. “Don’t worry about it. Listen, I know I’ve asked you this question a dozen times, but why in the hell did you marry Allison in the first place?”
    Tyler looked Victoria squarely in the eyes. “Because I knew that even if the marriage ended, I’d be okay. I knew she couldn’t hurt or disappoint me. If I lost her, I wouldn’t be devastated,” Tyler admitted. “You see, when I first fell in love with Juliet I was cautious, ’cause I was afraid that one day I might lose her. But hell, after a while I couldn’t help it. I loved that girl.”
    â€œBut you broke her heart,” Victoria softly reminded him.
    â€œI was a different man back then, young and stupid. I didn’t want to go through the kind of pain I felt when I lost my parents. After Juliet accepted the job offer in New York, I took it as a sign, so I broke it off. Crazy, right?”
    â€œEveryone makes mistakes,” Victoria tried to console.
    â€œYeah, and that was a big one. That’s why I’m gonna undo what should’ve never been done. I’m going by my lawyer’s office tomorrow morning so I can file the divorce papers. He told me a couple of months ago that I could get one of those quickie divorces—that way I won’t have to go through the standard year-long separation period, as long as Allison doesn’t contest it. And she won’t. She’s upset right now, but she’ll get over it.”
    â€œWhat makes you so sure she won’t contest it? She’s held you off twice already,” Victoria asked, finishing the last of her coffee.
    â€œFor one thing, her parents will probably have her married off to some Cliff Huxtable type before the ink dries on the divorce papers. Plus, as of this morning we’re no longer living under the same roof.”
    â€œWhere are you going to stay in the meantime?” Victoria asked, ready to offer up her guest room for as long as it would take for Tyler to find a new place.
    â€œWhadda you mean, where am I gonna stay? I’m stayin’ in my house,” Tyler balked, picking up his cup and gulping now that his coffee had cooled.
    â€œSo you put her ass out?”
    â€œYou damn skippy. She’s back at her folks’ place. That’s why I haven’t slept in almost twenty-four hours. We spent all night and well into this morning movin’ her stuff. And it’s a good thing it stopped raining shortly after midnight or we’d still be hauling clothes and shoe boxes right now.”
    â€œWow! I’m stunned.”
    â€œWe just finished the last trip an hour ago. I would’ve been here sooner if I hadn’t had to wait for the locksmith.”
    â€œYou changed the locks?”
    â€œYou better believe it.”
    â€œTyler, you don’t think she would do anything crazy, do you? I mean, I know she’s a bitch . . . but damn, she’s not stupid.”
    â€œYou never know what a person is capable of under certain conditions,” he answered