Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

A week slipped by before Athena finally unlocked her phone and saw a flood of messages from Doris. But from Tyler-nothing. Anna, too, had stayed silent.

Athena had spent the week holed up in a run-down motel, her eyes raw and swollen from crying. She hadn't answered any of Doris's frantic messages; instead, she dragged herself out of bed and washed her face, moving as if underwater.

She'd barely finished when her phone rang again. Doris's name flashed on the

screen.

"Athena!" Doris's voice screeched through the speaker. "Where the hell have you been? If you keep ignoring my calls, I'm calling the police!"

Athena winced, her head pounding from days of restless sleep. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Doris practically exploded. "Do you even realize Tyler has been searching for you everywhere? He called me dozens of times-he thinks I'm hiding you! You're lucky I haven't lost my mind. Now that your phone's back on, he can track your number. He'll probably show up soon, so you better figure out what to tell him."

Athena frowned. What was there to explain to Tyler? He disappeared all the time and she never questioned it-everyone has their secrets, after all.

She tossed her photo album into her bag, ready to head back to Greenfield, when Tyler appeared out of nowhere.

hours since Doris's call. Had he flown in by

moment he spotted her, he marched

you win. You're

made any kind of bet,

chest ached with frustration. Things had ended badly the last time they spoke, but

to

to hole up in some

town just

hing

she trying to drive

no word from her. Then her phone went dead, and panic set in. He'd started calling in favors, asking everyone he knew to help

been desperately searching for

saw her-disheveled, eyes puffy from crying-he felt something inside him soften.

her into his arms. "Come back to Greenfield with me. I swear, I'll never treat

he realized she'd probably had a rough week too. His

talked to Doris. She says you always bottle things up, even when