Free Matter of Time by Alannah Lynne

stop them now either.
    *
    Unable to sit still any longer, Lizbeth pushed out of her chair and paced around the room. She kept reminding herself all this talking was necessary, but knowing something logically didn’t make it easier, and she needed to walk off the ache settling into her bones.
    Wandering over to the window, she pulled back the curtain and gazed down at the street in front of Pandora’s. She watched as the valet brought a car to the curb and a gentleman helped a woman into the passenger seat, then shut the door behind her. It seemed odd for the rest of the world to carry on as if nothing monumental were happening in one of the upstairs rooms, but that was the way it had been for the past fifteen years. The rest of the world—including Logan—moved on while she stayed stuck in a state of suspended animation.
    “Whose idea was it to have more kids?” She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but it was probably for the best. Otherwise, she might not have gotten the question past her lips.
    “We decided together. Bobbi Jo hated being an only child. Of course, I have Lucas and don’t know what I’d do without him, so we agreed Brianna needed a sibling.” After a brief pause, he said, “How did you know we had more kids?”
    Her laugh was harsh, definitely more biting than she’d intended, but some things couldn’t be covered. “You’re kidding, right? I couldn’t turn on the goddamned TV or pick up a newspaper without seeing your face or hearing all about your accomplishments.”
    She took a deep breath to dilute the unintentional accusatory tone. It wasn’t his fault he’d been a hometown hero, and every time one of her roommates or their boyfriends turned on the local news, the sportscaster was signing Logan’s praises while the local paper documented his every move.
    The worst came two years after he and Bobbi Jo married… Logan Steele and wife, Bobbi Jo, welcomed twins this morning…
    “The morning you had the twins was the day I finally accepted I was out of your life forever. It was stupid, but for the longest time, I convinced myself you were with Bobbi Jo for the sole purpose of being a parent to Brianna. That you married in name, but weren’t… you know… acting like a couple.” It was amazing the things a mind told itself in the name of survival. “But then you guys had more kids, and…”
    Shit, how could it still hurt so badly after all this time?
    “At that point, I realized you really had moved on and created a new life with Bobbi Jo and weren’t ever coming back to me.” The words broke with tears that were building up a head of steam, and she turned and held out her hand to him like frickin’ Vanna White. “Except here you are.”
    “C’mere.” Logan’s tone was soft and pleading as he held out his hand for her. “Let me hold you.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest and held her ground, afraid if she went to him, she’d give in to the physical comfort of being in his arms and wouldn’t continue the difficult conversation. And there was still one important question she needed answered. “You married her to be a father to your child. Now you have three. Are you sure your marriage is really over and there won’t be any reconciling, even if it’s just for the sake of the children?”
    “Absolutely not. The marriage has been over for a while, and there’s no salvaging it.” He stood and made his way across the room to her. “The divorce was supposed to have been final two weeks ago, but a glitch with the paperwork—”
    Lizbeth threw up a hand to stop him from coming any closer and screeched, “Wait… what? You’re still married?”
    He planted his hands on his hips, blew out a breath, and dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling. As far as she knew, he’d never lied to her, but he certainly acted like a man considering that option now.
    After a moment, he said, “Technically, yes. But only technically. We’ve been living separate lives in separate