Page 48 of One of Those Amnesia Stories

I sidestepped him and kept walking.

Damn, I wasted perfectly good coffee. I should’ve just drank it.

Behind me, I heard him finally recover from his brief shock. “Wait, I’m talking—” He hurried after me and stepped directly into my path again, becoming a very tall, very damp human barricade.

“If you take another step,” he warned, lowering his voice as though he were delivering a serious threat, “I swear, Alessia, I will hug you. All of this coffee will end up on your clothes too.”

I tilted my head, unimpressed. “I have a taser in my bag and a change of clothes in my car. You really want to try me, son?”

His brows shot together. Whatever desperation had been driving him a moment ago now had irritation mixed into it. “Why are you calling me ‘son’? I’m your husband.”

“Eh.” I made another attempt to slip past him.

Cassian immediately shifted with me.

I went left.

He went left.

I went right.

He went right.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

I pointed at him with a warning look. “Don’t make me introduce you to the taser.”

He seemed to realize that arguing with me was getting him nowhere. His shoulders dropped, the last of his irritation giving way to something far more vulnerable. “Just listen to me. I’m sorry. I am so sorry, Alessia.” His voice softened, each word carrying a weight that his earlier protests hadn’t. “But please, don’t leave. You can throw another drink at me. Tea, juice, whatever you want. You can do anything you want to me. Just…” His voice faltered. He swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving mine. “Don’t walk away.”

I paused.

A dangerous new thought began taking shape.

“Anything?” I asked, my voice turning deceptively soft.

The moment he heard the question, hope flashed across his face. He latched onto it, nodding quickly. “Yes. Anything.” He took a tentative step toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. “As long as you stay here, as long as you talk to me, and give me a chance to show you what you mean to me. You can do whatever you want.”

He hesitated, a flicker of caution entering his eyes. “Just… nothing hot. Other than that, anything.”

My eyes narrowed.

The more I learned about our marriage, the clearer the picture became. It had dulled me. It made me neglect the people and the work that truly mattered. It made me settle for a life of endless compromise with a man who didn’t even love me.

And what did I have to show for all those lost years?

Nothing.

Didn’t I deserve compensation?

Didn’t I deserve a little revenge for the woman I’d once been?

A slow, predatory smile curled across my lips.

Cassian noticed.

His confidence faltered immediately, and he took a cautious half-step backward. A flicker of fear crossed his eyes as he stared at me, suddenly looking far less certain about the deal he’d just offered.