Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

The housekeeper cinto the den with a message that set Fitch's teeth on edge. “Sir, Ms. Bennitt is at the front gate. Should I let

her in?”

Fitch felt an immediate distaste at the thought of seeing her. He had pegged her as a stable sort, never imagining she could stir up

such scandal.

“No,” he replied, his voice sharp with finality. After his brief response, he grabbed his coat from the rack and exited through the

back door.

It wasn’t until he pulled up to the pet store that he realized why he had driven there.

Ozzy was gone, and in a way, it was on his conscience. It only seemed right to get a new puppy for Zoey as a gesture of

atonement.

But as he walked among the rare breeds, his gaze kept being drawn to a memory of a scrappy little gray mongrel that somehow

seemed more sincere, more beautiful than the ones before him.

Hesitating only a moment, he chose a pristine white pup and, carrying it in a crate, inquired about Zoey’s whereabouts.

Learning that she was in the hospital, he immediately set off in that direction.

Halfway there, he realized that he wouldn't normally do such a thing for anyone else. His brow furrowed as he pondered whether it

was his involvement that had dragged Zoey into this mess to begin with.

Pressing the accelerator, he continued toward the hospital.

Zoey's fever had broken, and she was awake, though her lips were cracked and bloody. She said nothing, staring blankly at the

ceiling, haunted by dreams of Ozzy wagging his little tail, and then of Wendy heartlessly dropping him from a height. Pain throbbed

her—there wasn't a place that

life: everything she tried to

in with a steaming bowl of broth and placed it beside Zoey.

sit up, her stomach churning at the sight and smell of

color as she clutched her stomach, “Cornelia, could I

distress, Cornelia nodded. “I'll leave for now and check on you later. The nurses

you've lost

the accident and the fever, Zoey had lost a significant amount of

a smile but found it

and zoned out, wearing a hospital gown with the window ajar, letting in a

threaten to break her.

snapped her back to reality, followed by its opening. She assumed Cornelia had forgotten something and

look up.

made her turn. Standing by the door was

wouldn't have been able to stay composed, but now, she felt nothing but

truly liked Fitch? Liking him was exhausting, painful, and she never seemed

white dog inside. “To make it up to you,” he said, his voice as detached as

moment of supposed amends.

Zoey blinked, uncomprehending.

was the first the'd cto see her of his own accord. But then she picked up

and flung it at

the word he had hurled at

“Get out.”

eyelashes quivered, his brow furrowed. “What did

almost laughed, reaching for a cup and throwing it at his forehead with all the

out,” she repeated, her

rage, but then he saw

she had withered, the standard-size hospital gown hanging loosely on her frame. Her eyes

at him, the light that used to shine

unable to comprehend this

while, the best he could muster was, “Don’t

gesture of politeness in response to the