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“You didn’t have to. It’s true. I’ve always been the problem child, at least in Dad’s eyes. I’m okay with it. You should try it sometime.”

“Try what?”

“Not doing everything expected of you. Being a major disappointment can be quite…freeing.”

“You’re not a disappointment.”

“Depends who you ask,” he retorts.

“I think thirty-three is a little old to go through a rebellious phase.”

“There’s no age limit on rebellion. Isn’t that what a midlife crisis is? Rebelling against societal norms? If you ask me, we should engage in one small act of rebellion every day.”

“I’ll leave the rebellion to you. I wouldn’t even know how to rebel.”

“Hate to break it to you, but you already are rebelling.” He nods at the mug in my hand.

“Well then…here’s to being a major disappointment.” I bring the cup to my lips and take a few swallows, grimacing through the burn. But I welcome it. It’s better than feeling…whatever I have been the past few days.

“So…,” Bennett begins, clearing his throat, “are you going to tell me what led to this impromptu visit, or do I have to draw my own conclusion?”

“You probably already have drawn your own conclusion.” I turn back to the field just as one of the Saints breaks through the defensive line and runs the ball into the end zone.

Everyone jumps to their feet, but Bennett and I stay seated, as if we’re in our own little world where football doesn’t exist.

“I have a theory.”

“What’s that?” I ask over the roar of cheers and cowbells.

He leans closer so I can hear. “That you finally realized Wyatt’s a giant tool and decided to leave him.”

I nod slowly. “That about sums it up.”

Bennett’s brows shoot up. “Oh, shit. Really?”

“Yup.”

His mouth opens, but nothing comes out. For once in his life, my brother is speechless.

But it only lasts a few seconds before he wraps an arm around me and pulls me against him. “I’m so sorry, Winnie.” He squeezes me tight, pressing a kiss to my hair before he lets go. “What happened?”

I take another long sip of scotch, the liquor relaxing me more than anything has in days. It’s most likely fleeting, but I don’t care. I want to enjoy this feeling of relative peace and freedom while it lasts.

“A few weeks ago, I found a box from a high-end jewelry store I’d visited the last time we were in Nashville. I saw a gorgeous pair of teardrop earrings with diamonds and sapphires, but they were way too expensive. So when I found the box in Wyatt’s underwear drawer, I couldn’t help opening it.”

“The earrings?”

I nod. “I assumed he bought them for me as a Christmas gift.”

I swallow hard, remembering how excited I was when I opened that box. Things have been strained between us lately with trying to get pregnant, so seeing those earrings made me think we might still have a chance.

How wrong I was.

“But then I walked into the restaurant to celebrate the team winning an important game and saw his assistant wearing those earrings.”

“Oh, Winnie…” He shakes his head.

“If they were some mediocre department store earrings, I wouldn’t have thought twice. But those earrings cost over ten grand.” I give Bennett a look. “You don’t spend that kind of money on someone unless you’re sleeping together. When I confronted him, he couldn’t deny it, so I packed a bag and left with Gary. I didn’t plan on coming home. I didn’t have a destination in mind. I just needed to be somewhere Wyatt wasn’t.”