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He sighed heavily. “Fine. Two more weeks. Do try not to ruin whatever it is she sees in you before then.”
“I cannot make any promises, especially when I am not exactly certain what she sees myself.” He was silent for such a long time I thought he had fallen asleep. “Arty?”
“You really truly like her, don’t you?” He snickered.
Nothing witty came to mind. I found myself nodding. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Oh, how I cannot wait to meet her and see what she’s done to you in person.” He hung up on me, allowing me no room for comment.
“Is he mad?” she asked gently when I gave the phone back to Iskandar.
Stretching out my hand to her, she took it, and I brought her knuckles to my lips, kissing them. “He is happier we are together than not, I promise. Do not worry, wife.”
“I thought we were keeping it a secret.”
“Just because it is a secret does not mean it is not true,” I whispered, leaning over and kissing the side of her face. I could not stop touching her. I could not stop kissing her.
But I had to.
The last thing I wanted to do was smother her. The crown would do that soon enough.
Letting go of her, I picked up my journal, which had fallen to the floor of the car. Lifting it, I ripped out the page we both had written on, tearing it in half and then over and over again before tossing it in ashes out of the window.
I did it.
I married a man I barely knew, and for so many reasons that I barely understood. It was a marriage of convenience, and yet our time together had made it more than that. My racing heart made it more than that. I glanced down at the red, teardrop-shaped diamond, surrounded by several other small white diamonds that now rested on my finger. It was beautiful but heavy. Not physically but mentally. Like I could feel all the women who had worn it in the past telling me to brace myself.
Inhaling once, I glanced at myself in the mirror. I had let all my curls down and skipped the scarf just for the night. That was a conversation I would have at another time. I didn’t have any pretty lingerie or anything like that, but I also didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard. I had on a satin top and short bottoms, which were at least two years old, but I had never worn them.
Knock. Knock.
“Come in,” I said, walking out of my bathroom.
When he did, he was dressed in long black satin pants and a simple gray V-neck shirt. His blue-green eyes followed the length of my legs all the way up to my chest, where they stayed for a moment before finally, his gaze met mine.
“I...I came to say goodnight.”
“What?” He wasn’t staying?
“I will be staying in my room tonight.”
Are you kidding me? I spent almost an hour fixing my hair alone, and he wouldn’t stay with me? Did he not know how much effort it takes to look nice for bed?
“So...um...goodnight,” he said to me.
“Wait,” I said, walking to the door.
His eyes looked glazed over when I neared him.
“Why?”
“I’m sorry?” he asked.
“Why don’t you want to stay?” I asked.
“Do you not see me? I’m aching to stay, Odette.”
“So, why are you leaving?”
