Free Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson Page B

“At first I thought it was the general shallowness of living in Beverly Hills, but the truth is I just consistently attract the wrong guys.”
    â€œYou and me both.”
    â€œSo…how are things with you and Rex?”
    â€œDidn’t Johnny tell you?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œWe’re separated. Just this fall.”
    â€œOh…I’m sorry.”
    â€œI’m not.” Marley’s mouth puckered in a frown. “Okay, maybe that’s not true. I mean, no one likes to fail at something. Especially a marriage. But the truth is I was holding on to our marriage these last few years out of nothing more than pure stubbornness. So many people predicted we’d never make it five years, let alone ten…I just wanted to prove them wrong.”
    â€œSo it’s been hard?”
    â€œ Hard? It’s been sick and twisted and dysfunctional and painful…yeah, you could say it’s been hard.”
    â€œI’m so sorry.”
    And now Marley unloaded her whole sad story on Rita, telling how Rex had started cheating shortly after their wedding. “For all I know he was cheating before that, too. I don’t think he knows how not to cheat. It’s like he’s got WOMANIZER stamped onto his forehead, but only a certain kind of woman can read it. You know?”
    â€œThat’s got to hurt.”
    â€œYeah. I mean, I didn’t really know about his affairs for the first few years. Looking back, I think I knew on some levels. A lot of little things felt off…and I often suspected something was wrong. You know what they say about twenty-twenty hindsight. But just the same, I was in total denial.”
    â€œThat’s not so unusual.”
    â€œWhen my parents helped me get my shop started—that was about four years ago—I got so caught up in setting everything up, getting inventory, and making it work that I sort of forgot about Rex.” She made a pathetic laugh. “And, no doubt, he’d already forgotten about me.” She leaned forward peering into Rita’s eyes. “But you know what really sucks now?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œRex doesn’t want to divorce.”
    â€œYou gotta be kidding.”
    â€œNope. He swears he still loves me. But I know that’s not true. You don’t treat people you love the way he’s treated me.”
    â€œThen why does he want to stay married?”
    â€œI think he knows a good thing when he sees it. Secondhand Rose is making profits. I’m becoming independent for the first time in my life. His job doesn’t pay that well…why not hang on to me, let me pay the bills, take care of everything at home, and he can keep running around with all his girlfriends? Nice, huh?”
    Rita groaned. “That does suck.”
    â€œSo…it’ll be an interesting ride this year.” She held up her hands. “But already I feel better. I like being free.”
    â€œYeah…freedom is good.” Yet even as she said this, Rita wasn’t so sure she still believed it. Sometimes she really longed for a good man to love, a loyal man who would love her enough to partner with her for life. Kind of like how her parents had done. But for some reason it had escaped her.
    Marley slowly shook her head. “Man, Rita, what was I thinking? Getting married when I was only twenty? I must’ve been certifiably crazy.” She made a sheepish grin. “Oh, yeah, you tried to tell me that, didn’t you?”
    â€œNot in a very helpful way, unfortunately.”
    â€œThat wasn’t your fault. I wouldn’t listen to anyone back then. Not even my best friend. I was so over the moon that Rex Prescott wanted me—little old me. And then I was head over heels about having the perfect wedding. It was like my fairy tale coming true. I thought for sure we would live happily ever after. What a fool.”
    â€œYou know what they say…love is