Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

Athena's reaction was just as Tyler expected—like she'd been pricked by something sharp. She snapped her head up and glared at him, her eyes full of venom.

Tyler only shrugged, flipping through the contract in front of him. It didn't take long to realize it was a complete farce—nothing but an unfair deal dressed up in legal jargon.

Athena stood, turning to leave, but Tyler called after her.

“Athena, I can't figure out why that guy wants you in his bed. You're like a plank of wood-who'd be interested in that?"

Athena's steps faltered for a moment, but his words didn't hit any raw nerve. She didn't even bother to look back, just walked right out the door.

Left behind, Tyler sat in his chair, the corner of his mouth twisting into a bitter smirk. Insults aimed at her, she could shrug off without a care. But if the words were about Kerwin—that was another matter altogether.

How deep must her feelings have run, to still remember him after all these years? Even after his death, he lingered in her heart.

Over the next few days, it started to feel like Tyler was everywhere Athena went. Once or twice could be chalked up to coincidence, but the seventh or eighth time-there was no way it was accidental.

Tyler seemed to have returned to his old ways, charming and flirtatious in every social setting, always the center of laughter and conversation. Yet, even as he worked the room, Athena could feel his gaze flicking to her from the corner of his eye.

he was never surrounded by a crowd of adoring women

insignificant-gone before the fifth episode—but tonight's gathering was

of ingratiating himself with Tyler, though Tyler, for all his easygoing smiles, kept his distance, never

ready to slip away, when she overheard the

packed up and

don't even know who that poor bastard was. My brother-he could swim, you know? But he pretended he couldn't. Some innocent kid died because

came out disjointed, half-lost in the noise of the party. The others

frozen, as if struck by lightning. What he'd said—it sounded so much

had died

the boy he rescued and his mother vanished; everyone assumed they'd run

scared to face the

onsequence

care. Athena had never once considered there might have been more to it-that maybe someone had

the drunken actor, then walked over and slipped her arm around his

her intent, arched an eyebrow, an interested glint in his eyes. The onlookers had seen scenes like this before, and the room erupted in