Hunter sat in his office a few days later looking over the contract on the buyout of Layfield Oil. It was final once all the signatures were on it. He brought up his email just as his assistant buzzed in.

"Yes, Marge?" He said when she did. He had hired the older married lady not long after he and Meredith were married.

"Your ex wife is here to see you."

He sighed. "Thank you. Send her in." He wondered what Stephanie could want. He looked up as the door opened.

"Well, I'm surprised you agreed to see me." Stephanie said as she walked in.

"Well, I'm being cordial. So, what do you want?" He asked her. "Why are you here?"

"I heard about you and Meredith. I'm sorry it's not working out." She smiled.

"What do you think you've heard?" He asked her.

"Just that you are living in a hotel. So I guess that means you left her." She looked at him. "It's ironic don't you think? You cheat on me with her. And she turns around and cheats on you. Guess karma does come around."

He sighed. "This really isn't any of your business. My marriage to Meredith is none of your business." He looked at her. "And I haven't left her. Not really. We are living apart to work on our marriage. We are in therapy and we are both committed to our marriage."

"Really?" She laughed. "Why don't you just admit that leaving me for her was a mistake? That you realize she's too young. She wants more than you can give her."

"You don't know anything about me or Meredith or our marriage." He sighed. "Just leave Stephanie. Leave me alone and go back to your life. Rumor is you have a new man in your life anyway. Go back to him."

"Is that something you really want?" She asked him. "Do you really want that whore who cheated on you?"

"Yes, I do." He looked at her. "Go Stephanie. Go back to your life and stay out of mine. Go."

"Fine. I'll go." She said walking out. She stopped at the door and turned back to him. "But you will realize what a mistake you made."

He sighed and sat down at his desk. He couldn't believe Stephanie actually thought he would go back to her. That wasn't happening. That part of his life was done.

Meredith sat in the house looking on the computer. She noticed the date and realized it was her anniversary. She knew Kyra told her and Hunter to have no contact outside of therapy but she couldn't not talk to him on their anniversary. She picked up her cell phone and dialed his.

"Hey, is something wrong?" He asked when he picked up seeing it was her.

"No." She said. "I just...I wanted to call and say happy anniversary. I know we aren't suppose to talk but I couldn't not tell you that."

"Happy Anniversary." He said back. He hadn't forgotten the date but he was unsure about calling her.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that. I know this isn't how our anniversary should be spent but it's what it is right?" She sighed. "Anyway, Happy Anniversary again." She hung up before more was said. It hurt her so much to not be with him on their anniversary. And it made her hate herself even more for what she had done. For the mistake she made. One that might, in the end, cost her the most important thing in her life. Her husband.

Hunter sighed once they hung up. She was right. This wasn't how he saw their anniversary either. He got up from his desk and rushed out. He had to get her a gift and give it to her. He didn't care about the no contact rule. He was going to be with her on their anniversary.

Meredith headed upstairs with her take out. She just wanted to be in bed watching a cheesy romantic comedy eating Chinese food. She walked past the master bedroom and to the guest room where she had been sleeping. She just didn't think it was right to sleep in the bed she shared with Hunter without him. She put in the movie and got comfortable on the bed.

Hunter pulled up to the house and into the garage. He opened the door and disarmed the alarm before resetting it. He had stopped by the jewelry store and picked up the gift he had gotten her weeks before. He didn't see her downstairs and headed upstairs. He walked into the master bedroom and saw she wasn't there. He knew she was in the house because her car was in the driveway. He walked further and heard the TV in the guest room. He walked in and couldn't help but smile when he saw Meredith asleep surrounded by junk food and Mamma Mia playing on the TV.

He walked in and started to move the junk food off the bed. "I was eating that." He heard from the bed. He turned to face her.

"You were asleep." He smiled. He walked over to the bed.

"You're breaking the rules." She said as she sat up in the bed.

"I know." He sighed. "But I don't care today." He got the gift from the bag and handed it to her. "Happy Anniversary."

She smiled and took it. She opened it and leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "I love it." She smiled as she held the diamond bracelet in her hand. "It's perfect but you know I didn't need something so expensive."

"I know." He smiled. "But I wanted you to have it. So, do you have my gift?"

"I do." She smiled and got out of bed and opened the closet door. She took down the wrapped gift. "I hope you like it."

He nodded and opened it. He had to smile. "I love it." He took out the watch.

"I remembered you telling me how much you love that watch and I thought what better gift." She smiled. "Happy Anniversary even thought it's not like we thought." She said as she started to tear up. "I'm so sorry."

He sighed and walked over to her. He pulled her to him and wiped her tears. "That doesn't matter right now." He leaned in and kissed her. He pulled away and looked at her "Right now, is only about you and me." He kissed her again as his arms wrapped around her waist and hers went around his neck. He pulled her to him as the kiss became intense. He walked them toward the bed with clothes coming off as he did.

He laid her back on the bed without breaking the kiss. He kissed his way down her body and smiled against her skin as she moaned. Sex was never the problem with them. There had always been chemistry there. They knew what each other wanted, what they needed right from the beginning. And through the sex, came the chance for the intimacy to grow.

Everyone just assumed that was why she cheated but it wasn't. She knew it was because she was lonely. And she was vulnerable and that was why she cheated and it was something she regretted so much.

She laid there afterward with her head resting on his chest listening to his heartbeat. It was something she had always loved to do. "I guess we have to tell our therapist about this."

"Yeah." He replied. "We want to be honest about everything."

She nodded and laid her head back. "I miss you." She said softly. "I miss this. I miss us. I miss not seeing you everyday."

"I miss you too." He replied. "But.."

"But it doesn't change anything." She said with a sigh. "Sex can't erase or change what happened. I know that." She got up and grabbed her robe nearby. "But I don't know what else I can say. I've said sorry so much and I wish I knew another word to use but I don't. I can only say sorry."

"Mere." He said getting up too. "I know you're sorry and I know you regret what happened. I'm not punishing you by not living here. I'm doing it to give us space. Space to work things out."

She sighed. "I know." She looked at him. "Maybe you should go."

"I don't want to go. Not yet." He leaned in close to her. "I love you Meredith. That hasn't changed but I can't forget what happened. But for tonight, let's put everything out of our minds. No thought of what happened or anything. For tonight, let's just be in this moment. This is our anniversary and I don't want to think about anything but you and me." He kissed her passionately and they were soon back in the bed.

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