AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That makes me feel less bad about hating it.” She pulls it off and throws it across the room. It clatters somewhere to the floor. “Tell her she’s welcome to it.”
“I didn’t want to add any more complications into our marriage and considering I fully expected it to be over in a year with no feelings or sex, I didn’t think Eleanor would ever even come up in conversation. There are several wrenches that were thrown into this plan by us sleeping together and I take full responsibility for that.”
“Did you ever feel bad or guilty?”
“Every day. In the beginning I pushed it aside. I hated that I was lying to you. I felt a lot of guilt, but I decided that in that moment, my needs were more important than yours. You’re young, I figured you’d move on easily and find a great guy like Jason and wouldn’t think twice about me again.”
“Or Mac?”
I furrow my brow, anger instantly coursing through me. “Why him?”
Why are you asking a question you don’t want to know the answer to?
“You’re sick, you know that?”
“What?”
“I know,” she says, her voice shaking. “I know what you told Mac.”
“What did I tell Mac?” I say, my curiosity now very piqued.
She shakes her head at me, a look of pure disgust on her face. “How could you?”
“Sweetheart.” I step toward her, gently grabbing her arms so I can look in her eyes. “What the fuck did Mac say to you?”
She looks confused, her eyes searching mine. “He— He told me that you said he could have me or that he should date me when you’re done with me.”
I release her arms, stepping back as my hands ball into fists so tight my knuckles grow white.
“When did he say that to you, Stella?” I try to remain calm, to keep my blood pressure under control, but it’s no use, thoughts of that pistol flashing through my head again.
“Yesterday when he—wait, did you not say that to him?”
“What?” I grab her again, my arms around her. “Baby, I would never, ever say that about you. Jesus Christ, you thought—?” I pull her back away from me. “You thought I offered you to him?” My chest burns. “You are my fucking world, Stella. If he so much as looks at you again, I’ll tear him limb from fucking limb, do you understand me? I-I love every single thing about you, your soul.” I place my hand over her heart. “You’re mine, Stella.” I rest our foreheads together. “Mine.”
Her body collapses against mine like she’s just shrugged a huge weight from her shoulders. But my body stiffens, anger pulsing through me as I play back the conversation I had with Mac just a few short weeks ago after the night he left the gate open.
“Mac,” I say as he turns to walk out of the garage after bringing me home from work.
“Yeah, boss?”
“I noticed the front gate was left open last night.” Before I can tell him that Oliver assured me he didn’t do it, he interrupts me.
“Oh, right.” He shakes his head. “Oliver mentioned it to me and told me to talk to you about that. I’m so sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
I nod. “Thank you.” He turns and walks away, an uneasy feeling settling over me. I remind myself to check the security cameras for that evening later.
“No, wait.” She pulls back, shaking her head. “Don’t manipulate me. Don’t do this. I don’t even know you.”
“You do know me,” I say, pulling my attention back to her.
“It’s so unfair. I feel like you got to know things about me because you watched me. I don’t even know your favorite color”—she starts to pace—“or drink or sports team.”
“That stuff doesn’t matter when it comes to knowing someone on a deeper level. My favorite color is orange. My favorite drink is black coffee, and I’m a season ticket holder for the Chicago Blackhawks. I don’t know those things about you either, but I want to. I want to spend a lifetime together learning those things about you. Finding out all the little secrets you’ve only told your best friends.” I reach out gently, running a tendril of her hair through my fingers. “But nothing I ever learn about you will make me love you less than I do right now. Everything I learn about you, I’m confident will only make me love you more. I know who you are in here.” I drop my hand down to her heart again.
“I don’t know who you are though.” She pushes my hand away again. I see flashes of different people you might be. It’s like you have this cold, emotionless exterior, this facade in place that even I can’t get past most days, and then once in a great while it slips and I see the real you, the man I want you to be. I felt like that week we had together, I got to see the real you. You didn’t try to tamp down your dominance; you didn’t try to push me away or hide who you were. I just—” She shakes her head. “It’s confusing. I never know which version I’m going to get. And now, it feels like you’re a monster.”
I place my hands on my desk, no longer able to swallow down all the things I’ve been wanting to say to her. “Fine.” I push off the desk. “You want to know who I am as a person?” I pick up the divorce papers where she left them, tearing them in half and tossing them back onto the desk. “You’re my wife. You made vows to me and there’s no way in fuck I’d ever let a judge determine if my marriage is irrevocably broken, because it’s not.” I slam my hand down on the desk, making her jump.
