We check into another hotel. I’m surprised when Laura decides to stay with me on the trip after all and shocked when she suggests we share a room.

“Are you sure?” I ask her.

“Yes. We said we were going to do some research, right?”

“All right. How about some dinner first? I’m starved.”

“Me, too.”

We make our way to the hotel restaurant and are seated at a table for two in the middle of the floor. It’s a fancier place than where we stayed the night before. The restaurant has a menu embossed onto premium linen card listing too many choices. Hopefully, they’re all cooked well.

I order a steak with chunky-cut fries, and Laura orders a pasta dish. When we start eating, it’s in silence. Ever since Laura found out about Alice, all our natural back-and-forth has vanished. When we’re together, we simply sit beside each other doing our best to hold our tongues.

“I wish we were back in the restaurant in Vegas, don’t you? The food there was something else.”

Laura smiles. “The décor, too.”

“I could really go for some marrow about now.”

I look across at Laura. Although she’s forcing a smile, there’s a sadness in her posture. She sits slightly slumped with her head bowed so her red hair drapes across her face. There’s something in her expression I can’t read.

“You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

“I’m just tired.”

“Are you thinking about the divorce?”

She nods. “I guess so.”

I lean back in my chair. Now that flirting is off the table, it’s hard to know what to say to Laura.

“How’s your mom doing?”

Laura gives a little smile. “She’s okay. I called her this morning, and she seems to be doing well. Hannah’s visited a couple of times this week to watch TV with her and keep her company.”

“Do you usually spend a lot of time with her?”

“I try. She’s depressed and gets anxious. She likes the company.”

“I’ve noticed you call her a lot.”

She frowns. “I don’t want her to worry or feel like I’ve forgotten about her. I’m all she has ever since Dad died.”

“I’m sure she appreciates it.”

“I’m not sure she really understands everything I do for her.” Laura leans forward on the table with her elbows and picks at her pasta with her fork. “It’s one thing trying to keep her emotionally stable, but her finances are something else. She’s carrying a lot of debt.”

“Can you help her out with that?”

“Only a little! Honestly, it would be easier for her to declare bankruptcy and move in somewhere smaller and closer to me. But she doesn’t want to leave the home she shared with Dad.”

“It sounds like you put a lot of pressure on yourself to support her.”

Laura nods. “It’s what you do for family.”

I watch her as she eats, and I can’t help but admire her. She’s different from any girl I’ve dated before. She’s focused and self-sufficient.

I could imagine a whole life for us, where I sweep her off her feet, pay off her mother’s debts, and we live carefree together. I picture a daily smile on her face, like when she was laughing in the casino when she spun the roulette jackpot. I’d love to give her everything.

But you’ve already promised your life to someone else.

I look down at my steak. I should have resolved things with Alice when I had the chance instead of allowing myself to be talked into another meeting. If Alice is still on the radar, I can’t go any further with Laura. It’s killing me.

“You wanted to talk about the divorce, right? Logistics.”

“Yup.”

“I did some reading up when I was in my room last night.” I bow my head, clearing my throat. “A couple has to have been living separately for six months before they can file for divorce, even if both parties agree to get the divorce.”

Laura’s jaw drops, and she clings to the edge of the table. The color drains from her face as her eyes grow wide. “Are you kidding me?”

I hold up my hands. “I was as shocked as you are.”

She buries her head in her hands. “This is a nightmare. You mean we’re stuck married for six months?”

“Six months is when we can file for divorce. We’ll be married for a while after the process starts.”

“What are you going to tell Alice?”

The idea of confessing my stupid, reckless actions to Alice makes my throat feel like it’s closing. I take a deep gulp from my wine glass and shrug. “I guess I’ll have to tell her the truth.”

“There must be another way to push it through quicker. I mean, this isn’t a marriage. It’s a joke that went too far.”

I take out my phone and open the web browser, searching for how to divorce in Illinois. I read aloud to Laura.

“Apparently, there are five forms to fill out and submit with a fee. Once they’re filed, you’ll get issued a summons, which would come to me. Only then could we set a court date to sort out the divorce.”

Laura shakes her head. “This will go all the way to court?”

I slip my phone back into my pocket. “Don’t worry about it. When I’m back in Michigan, I’ll arrange a meeting with a divorce lawyer and see what we can do.”

“I’ll sign anything,” Laura says. “Maybe it’s faster if they know we’re not interested in dividing property and there are no kids involved and—” Her voice trails off, and she gets a strange look on her face like she’s remembered something awful.

“Laura, what’s wrong?”

Her voice is strangled when she replies. “Nothing. I left my necklace back in Vegas, that’s all. I just remembered.”

“Get in touch with the hotel. If it’s in lost property, they’ll mail it back to you.”

“Mm-hmm.”

I catch Laura’s eyes and fix her with an intense stare. I can’t shake the feeling she’s holding something back from me. All sorts of questions are starting to cross my mind. What if she’s already married? What if there’s something else she’s keeping from me? Why does she have that haunted look on her face?

“Are you sure nothing else is wrong? You can talk to me. You’re my wife, after all.”

Laura shoots me a disapproving glare, raising her eyebrows. “Don’t, Adam.”

I chuckle. “Come on. You saw the funny side of all this yesterday.”

“That’s before I found out about Alice. How’s she going to feel when she realizes she can’t get married for another year because you took a fling to a Vegas chapel?”

“What makes you think I still want to marry her?” I retort. “I left for a reason. I’ve needed time to think long and hard about whether Alice and I have a future together, and the honest answer is that I’m not sure we do.”

“Why did you arrange to meet her in Illinois then?”

“Respect for her. We were together for twelve years. I owe her a final chance to talk things through.”

“Do you really think you would want to walk away from her after all this time?”

I sigh. “We don’t make each other happy. That’s all I know.”

Not like when I’m with you.