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"I don't want a divorce. I want to stay married to you."
36
Bella
Joel's green eyes fill with surprise.
He stares back at me.
He says nothing.
I stammer. "You should respond."
He moves closer. "You don't want a divorce?"
"I don't."
"I don't either."
"Yeah?"
He nods.
My fingertips graze the back of his hand. Then I'm intertwining my fingers with his. In my heels, I'm only a little shorter than Joel. I barely have to look up at him. "This is crazy. We've known each other for a week."
"And?"
"People don't do that."
His lips curl into a smile. Tension falls off his brows, his jaw, his shoulders. "I'm not people."
"You're really not." I move close enough to rest my head on his chest. Then his arms are around me, and I melt. This is what safety feels like, what home feels like. "If this is about proving something about love being real and marriage being important—"
"It's not."
"Would you tell me if it was?"
"Yeah." Slowly, he removes the elastic band holding my bun in place. "We promised. No lies, no bullshit today."
With my hair falling over my shoulders, I feel wild. Like I'm ready to shed off the prim and proper clothes and get dirty. But I have to get this out first. I look up at Joel. I stare into those earnest green eyes of his. "If you're being stubborn, you probably won't realize it."
"True."
"I'll ask anyway. Are you sure you're not being stubborn?"
"Yes." He runs his fingers through my hair. "I never wanted this." He motions to the contract on the table. "I love you, Bella."
My chest warms. I believe him. My entire body believes him.
I stare back at Joel. "I love you too."
He beams. "Fuck, angel." He slides his hands to my hips and pulls me closer.
I let out a soft sigh. "Is that enough, loving each other?"
"You want to stay married."
"I do."
