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I didn’t want to stop kissing her.
It was surreal.
Consuming.
And I wanted more.
When another soft moan escaped her mouth, I pecked her lips one last time before gradually pulling away. Already missing her touch. Incoherent thoughts ran rapidly through my mind.
I was grinning down at her as her eyes fluttered open, not removing my hands from the sides of her face. My infatuated stare hadn’t changed—if anything it was worse.
Murmuring against her lips, I rasped, “Like I said, you’ve never been kissed until now. Until me.”
Her chest was rising and falling, as she waited for what I would say next. Surprising us both when I added…
“What other first of yours can I have next?”
Chapter 3
Kinley
Now
It had been six months since Julian and Autumn’s wedding, and I couldn’t believe how fast time was slipping by. I felt awful for ruining their wedding, even though they claimed we didn’t.
Christian and I didn’t know they were in the barn and overheard our fight. The embarrassment I felt when they confronted us seconds after Christian kissed me was an emotion that still lingered in my mind.
“Oh my God! You guys are getting a divorce?” Autumn exclaimed, rushing toward us.
Our shocked expressions snapped to her worried gaze with Julian right behind her. He was calmer and more collected which didn’t surprise me. They’d spent years hooking up behind everyone’s back, including her brother’s, until Julian had to leave town. He couldn’t continue to lie to a family that had taken him in as if he were their own.
Ten years later, they made their way back to each other, and now they were married. Their special day was now ruined because of us, making me feel horrible that this was what they would remember in the years to come.
“Guys, please go back to your reception. We can talk about this later,” I reasoned, hoping they’d listen.
“No, we can talk about this now,” Autumn persisted. “How long has this been going on?”
“Long enough to know we’re not right for each other anymore.” I looked at Christian for support on this, but it was evident by his composure he wasn’t going to give me an inch.
“What are you talking about? That’s impossible. You’ve been together for twenty years.”
“Autumn, there’s a lot you don’t know.”
Julian grabbed her arm. “Kid, let them be.”
“Christian, do Mom and Dad know?”
He shook his head, and I answered for him, “We’re going to tell them.”
“When?”
“Soon,” was all I could reply.
Julian pulled her away. “Come on, let’s get back to our guests.” I’d never been more grateful for him than I was right then.
Autumn gazed at us hesitantly before she reluctantly listened to her husband. After they were gone, I glared back at Christian.
“Thanks for nothing,” I bit. “You could have helped me, you know? Is this how it’s going to be when we tell your parents?”
“You need to remember that you’re the one who wants this divorce, Kinley. And don’t you ever forget that.”
He turned and followed them back to the reception while I stayed there for another few minutes, thinking about the mess our lives had become.
Two weeks later, we were sitting at their table for dinner when Christian took it upon himself to announce our divorce to them without discussing it with me first. Completely blindsiding me, and I knew he did it to be spiteful.
Announcing, “You guys can stop pretending like you don’t know we’re getting a divorce. I’m sure Autumn already told you.”
They’d just gotten back from their honeymoon in St. Bart’s, and this was the last thing we needed to discuss.
“Christian,” Autumn coaxed. “What was I supposed to do? Huh? They have a right to know.”
I sighed, intervening, “Please don’t argue because of us.”
“So then, it’s true?” his mom asked, making me bow my head.
The shame immediately eating me alive.
For the next hour, we had to hear his parents talk about the ups and downs of marriage, and how important it was to stay connected, like we didn’t already know that. They were adamant we could work through it, and we’d come out stronger in the end.
I never thought we’d be in this situation to begin with, and it wasn’t like I had fallen out of love with him. He was still my everything, but we weren’t on the same page anymore. We’d drifted apart, becoming two different people instead of a couple. We weren’t even on the same wavelength anymore.
Arguing with him at therapy only added to the conviction I felt about ending our marriage. We couldn’t go on like this. It wasn’t fair to either of us, and for the life of me, I didn’t understand why he couldn’t see that.
“Christian, that’s not fair!” I shouted, staring him down at our therapist’s office.
“What’s not fair, Kinley? Because the only thing not fucking fair is the fact that you’re making us get a divorce!”
