Chapter 16

By the time Heidi was done throwing up, there was nothing left. She continued dry heaving with bile burning her throat. Her stomach was empty, and her heart felt the same way. In bed, she had still been able to lie to herself and tell herself that Maverick loved her. As long as she mattered to him, the marriage could still work. But in the end, all it took was one call from Arabella for him to drop every promise to Heidi and erase every trace of tenderness toward her. His response speed depended on who he was facing. With Heidi, he gave her two days of silence and avoidance. With Arabella, he showed up on demand—anytime, anywhere. Maverick came back at 6:30 am. When he saw the small human-shaped lump under the blanket on the bed, he let out a breath of relief and headed into the bathroom. In the trash can was a small pink pill box. Something dark flickered in his eyes. He stared at the words on the box for a few seconds, then silently turned on the shower. Water gushed out, lo