"Nathan, can I talk to you please for a second?"

He stood and left the room, grateful for the intrusion and distraction. He followed her out to the pool area, ignoring the prying eyes of his parents.

"What's up, babe?"

"I have to tell you something. It's about the Dominican Republic trip."

"Meg, I was online looking up stuff to do there. I've decided not to let the trip be all bad. Get rid of my baggage like the first day and then you and me get an early honeymoon. The beaches look awesome and there's a bunch of that art and history stuff you're all into and…"

"Nate, I can't go."

Nathan felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Maybe, surely he had misheard her.

"What?"

"Honey, I can't…"

"I'm not deaf, Megan. I heard you. What's going on?"

The steely tone of his voice hit her like a sharp blow in the center of her heart.

"There's this training course coming up at work. Remember all that ISA crap I told you about? Well, our company needs 100 percent certification and I was tasked for this class immediately. I have to go back in a few days."

Nathan sighed.

"And you can't miss it?"

"No, I can't. Sweetie, I've been on at that job less than a year. You know it's more than just a job to me. It's my career. This is mandatory for our entire firm. How would it look me telling the boss no?"

"But going down to the Dominican is important."

"Nathan, I know that."

"Whatever", he said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

He turned to walk away but she went after him, grabbing a muscular forearm and spinning him around to face her.

"Don't walk away from me?"

"Why? Sounds like we're done here anyway. You've made up your mind already, Meg."

"Like I have much of a choice."

He stared at her for a moment.

"There's always a choice", he said quietly.

"That's not fair. Look, I know what you have to do down there. I know it's important and it has to be done. I also know that it's not something you really want to face alone."

"Then come with me."

"Baby, I can't. It's just not a good time. Please don't be mad. Your divorce is something that can't be avoided. You're going down to the Dominican Republic to take care of business so you can have peace and get on with your life and we can't get married and start ours together. You're doing something for our future but so am I."

"Meg…"

"I promise you I'm not being selfish. If I could get out of this, I would but I can't Nathan. And I know I can't ask you to postpone your stuff because everything is already set up and Haley has taken time off her schedule to get this done."

He took a deep breath. Going without Megan was unfathomable. Facing the situation alone almost frightened him. But more than that, it was the first time Meg had ever said no to him. She had always been there when he needed her, she had always sacrificed whatever to be present in his time of need. Now when he needed her the most, when he wanted her the most, she was in essence denying him. It bothered him to his core. A woman choosing her career over him. Painful and cruel déjà vu of sorts and how ironic the timing, considering where he was going and what he was going to be doing there.

"Okay. Fine. Whatever. It's just a couple of days, right?"

"Right."

"Nothing I can't handle then."

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure?"

She cuddled up close, snaking her smaller arms around his tight waist.

"Meg, I'm sure. It'll be okay. Would I rather have you there? Hell yeah but if you can't, then I understand. I know important your career is to you and that ISA certification stuff within your company. You have to do what you have to, just like I have to do what I have to do."

"You'll be fine, sweetie and it'll all be over before you know it."

"I hope so", he breathed.

"Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

Megan cupped Nathan's face and looked deeply in his eyes.

"Don't be too hard on her", she whispered.

"What?" he asked, taken aback, immediately recoiling from her touch.

"Haley. Just please."

"Meg…"

"No, baby. Listen to me. I know you're angry. I know you're hurt…"

"Trust me, I'm not hurt", he smirked.

"Are you sure about that? Because she has this hold on you…"

"Hold on me?" Nathan scoffed. "Now you're just being silly. What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the man I love who is this wonderful, sincere, funny, genuine, lovable human being and this woman comes back and just at the mention of her name, you do a complete 360 and just become this…this monster. You get beyond angry and your whole mood and face and body language changes. And the things that come out of your mouth? They're horrible. And that scares me, Nathan. It's like I don't even know who you are anymore when you act like that. You become another person."

"I'm still the same guy, Meg. You just don't understand everything that happened and everything I went through. Maybe in your world you can play nice and be friends with all your exes but it could never be that way between me and…her. That's just the way it is. But she doesn't have a hold on me, trust me. I would never give her that much power."

"Then why can't you even call her by name?" Megan asked softly.

Nathan pulled away.

"This isn't about her and me. We've been over for a long time, now I just have to make it legal."

"Nathan…"

"You don't know her, Meg?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said. You don't know what it was like. You weren't there. You don't understand and I could never make you. Just remember that next time you rush to defend her. It's best to just drop it. Because hopefully by the end of next week, she'll be nothing more than a mistake and a bad memory."

Megan looked away sadly.

"This is hard, Nathan. It's hard on me so I can only imagine what you're going through. You're right that I don't understand everything and I can't expect you to make me understand because I don't even think you understand it all yourself, babe."

"It's almost over", he sighed. "It won't be much longer."

She looked in his eyes and saw the distance, saw the sadness. There was an emotional wall between created by the iciness of his bitter and broken heart. No matter how hard or fast or persistent she picked away, she would never fully be able to reach him. No one could. Not until Haley James was legally erased from his life forever.

"I love you", she said.

He nodded and pulled her to him again, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I know. I love you, too."