The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 179

Nathan's snot and tears were smeared all over Nora's sweater.

Thankfully, the wellness center's heating was turned up high. When they had first arrived, Maloney had practically peeled Nora's rabbit-fur coat right off her shoulders.

She had been so annoyed at him she'd kicked him in the shin.

*Always taking my clothes off!*

Now, her sweater was sporting a giant, grotesque snot bubble.

Nora carefully pulled the ruined sweater over her head.

She had a long-sleeved shirt on underneath, which was perfectly fine on its own.

She headed to the restroom to scrub her hands.

Cassidy grabbed Nathan by the scruff of his neck and dragged him back to his chair, where Jasmine started wiping his face with a tissue.

He was the definition of a coddled mommy's boy.

"Alright, stop crying."

Jasmine's voice was gentle. "Didn't you promise Val you'd play board games with her today? Don't break your promise. Pull yourself together."

After another ten minutes of coaxing, Nathan finally washed his face. Eyes red and puffy, he obediently went back to Valery's room to play board games.

Stepping out of the breakroom, Nora glanced at Maloney, who was still standing guard by the door. "Where's my coat?" she asked quietly.

It was the first sentence she had spoken to him all day.

Her tone was still slightly petulant.

Maloney took the coat draped over his arm and wrapped it snugly around her shoulders. "Are you cold?"

Nora slid her arms into the sleeves, pulling the edges tight around herself, and shook her head. "No."

Maloney leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her earlobe.

Cassidy, walking out right behind them, caught the whole display.

Cassidy rolled her eyes.

She was genuinely exhausted by them.

These two had absolutely zero regard for public decency.

Acting like teenagers in love right out in the open.

Even during the most intense honeymoon phase of her own relationship, she hadn't been this obnoxious.

Cassidy let out an exaggerated sigh and walked away.

Jasmine was the last to leave the room.

She actually found Nora and Maloney's dynamic quite normal.

It just didn't look like a couple who had been married for two years.

They acted like college sweethearts in the throes of a fresh romance.

Clingy, fiercely protective, and ridiculously sweet.

"Mr. Jameson."

Jasmine walked up to Maloney and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much for your help."

Maloney gave a slight nod.

"If you ever need anything in the future, just ask," Jasmine said with absolute sincerity. "I will do everything in my power to repay you."

Nora peeked out from Maloney's embrace and asked, "What are you planning to do next?"

"I need to see how far Nate is willing to go for Val first," Jasmine replied. "We'll figure out the next step after that."

The two friends exchanged a few more words.

Maloney had afternoon meetings at his firm and couldn't stay any longer. He looked at Nora. "Are you coming with me, or staying here?"

Nora mumbled, "Coming with you."

Anyone listening would have thought she was being held hostage.

Maloney took her hand and led her out of the wellness center.

She assumed they were heading home.

Instead, he drove her straight to his tech firm.

She realized the 'display item' was actually a pink claw clip.

Huh?

She stared in confusion.

She instinctively reached out to grab it.

But just before her fingers brushed the plastic, she stopped.

This belonged to Maloney.

And it was displayed right in the dead center of his bookshelf, almost like a shrine.

Would it be bad to mess with it?

But...

Why did this thing look so incredibly familiar?

Nora got up on her tiptoes, craning her neck forward until her chin rested on the wooden shelf, her nose practically touching the clip.

She stared at it for a full thirty seconds.

Confirmed.

This was hers.

During her freshman year of college, her roommate had been obsessed with DIY decoden crafts.

Curious, Nora had borrowed the materials and made a few things herself.

She had crafted a phone case, a claw clip, and two barrettes.

The phone case had been thrown away when she upgraded her phone.

The barrettes looked too childish, so she threw those away too.

As for the claw clip... if she remembered correctly, she had accidentally left it behind in a lecture hall after class.

How on earth did it end up in Maloney's office?