Page 100 of Hired Husband

I’d agreed to marry David. It wasn’t like I was a victim of an arrangement I’d had no choice in. I just didn’t really know him. We hadn’t sat down and talked about the future, or children, or where we’d live. I didn’t know if he snored or even whether he’d expect me to share a bed with him at all. It was absurd to think that I would be committing to spending the rest of my life with a man I’d never even had a decent, proper conversation with.

Everything about this felt weird and uncomfortable, like I’d accidentally wandered into someone else’s life or gotten stuck in my own worst nightmare. I had to pretend to be happy in this alternate reality. At least in public.

When the seamstresses were finally done, they stepped back to admire their work.

“Perfect,” said the one who had offered me advice. “What do you think?”

I slowly turned my gaze to the mirror, seeing a woman in the reflection who looked exactly like Jasmine Saad was supposed to. Elegant, sophisticated, and painfully beautiful. I just didn’t recognize her as myself right now.

“You’ve outdone yourself,” I assured them tearfully, stepping off the little platform just as the bell above the door chimed.

A man in dusty work boots walked in carrying a little paper bag. His shirt was faded and there was a streak of grease across one forearm, but when the older seamstress turned and saw him, her whole face lit up.

“Darling! What are you doing here?”

“I managed to escape,” he replied gruffly, striding right over with eyes only for her. “I wanted to bring you a treat.”

He handed over the paper bag, leaning over to kiss her forehead without even the slightest hesitation. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, just a man who obviously worked a blue-collar job bringing his wife something to eat and stealing a kiss in the middle of a workday, but seeing it nearly broke me.

I stifled a sob and quickly hurried toward the changing room, allowing one of the other seamstresses to help me out of the dress before racing home. I barely managed to keep it together as I rushed into my building.

As I went inside, however, I wondered why Hassan didn’t open the door, but as soon as I looked up, I realized it was because he was distracted. By my sister.

“Deja?” I blinked hard, certain that my eyes were playing tricks on me. “What are you doing here?”

She cut herself off mid-sentence and turned away from Hassan, her smile vanishing as her eyes met mine. “Oh, sweetheart. Of course, I’m here. I came as soon as I could.”

When she opened her arms, I broke down, running into them. Everything I’d been holding back came out as choked, heart-wrenching sobs. I buried my face in her shoulder and she held me, rubbing slow circles across my back.

“I know, baby,” she whispered. “I know. Just let it all out.”

I wasn’t sure what she thought she knew or how she’d gotten here at the exact moment I’d needed her most, but I clung to her, crying rivers of tears that lasted until long after she’d led me up to my apartment and climbed right in my bed with me. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and cradled my head to her chest, holding me until the tears finally subsided.

When she did let go, it was only to get me a glass of water. I took it from her as she climbed back in my bed. My back was resting against the headboard and she sat down to face me this time.

“What are you thinking?” she asked. “I can fly you back to Chicago with me right now if that’s what you want.”

I shook my head, lowering my gaze to the water I still hadn’t even taken a sip of. “You have no idea how much I want to, but I can’t, Deja. I have to go marry him. There is no other option.”

She was quiet for a long moment, but then she scooted closer and pulled me into her arms again. “Whatever happens, we’ll get through it.”

I nodded, knowing it was true, but even that couldn’t touch the ache that had taken up permanent residence in my chest. “I don’t want to get through it. I just want to run away, but I can’t, and it feels like it might actually be killing me.”

CHAPTER 41

ISAAC

Ryan and I rolled up to the Saad estate in Cairo. My brother grinned like a fully grown man who’d just discovered orgasms for the first time as he stared out the window. “This place is awesome. I’m staying. How the hell did you leave? It feels like we’re in an adventure movie.”

I laughed. “Right? I love it here. Leaving was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”

The adrenaline pumping through my veins was insane, making me feel like I was absolutely invincible, but naturally, when we stopped in front of the massive, wrought-iron gates, it dawned on me that feeling invincible didn’t mean I was.

There was a security checkpoint outside today and two guards approached the car. Ryan lowered his window, muttering. “Go time.”

One of the guards glanced at a tablet in his hands. “Name.”

“Ryan Thayer.”