"Babe." He pulled me into his arms. "I still like you best when you keep it simple."
Every ounce of hope in my heart turned to dust.
His words hit me like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. I stood there, frozen, too stunned to even react. I just watched as he peeled the tiny rhinestones off my nails without a shred of hesitation.
"What's the point of flashy things that are all style and no substance?"
Right.
Flashy things.
All style and no substance.
But Lucille was draped in every flashy, insubstantial luxury money could buy, polished like a porcelain doll from another world entirely.
The laughable part? Every dollar spent decorating Lucille had come from the money I'd bled and sweated for over the years.
How was that fair?
The tears came despite my best efforts. I wiped them away hard and stared at Julian's name lighting up my phone again and again, relentless, until I finally hit accept.
"Babe?"
"You finally picked up!"
"Thank God!"
His voice came through, frantic.
"I've been looking everywhere for you! Where did you go? Whatever's going on, can we just talk about it face to face?"
"Maya, we've been together fifteen years!"
"Not fifteen days! You can't just disappear on me like—"