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I smile to myself. “Because of the ceremony. The night we met. Do you remember what we talked about down by the beach?”
“I remember.”
“You encouraged me to go for it.”
“I didn’t mean you should do it all by yourself. Nobody does anything alone.”
“I want to.” I turn onto my side to face him. “I didn’t go to college. Barely graduated high school. My parents were indifferent to me on good days, actively cruel on the bad ones. I grew up thinking I’d never be anything.”
“I never want to meet your parents,” he says, tone darkening. “I’m afraid of how I’d treat them.”
I smile to myself. “That’s dramatic. But the truth is, I didn’t think I was anything until I worked with Ash for a while. She made me start to think that maybe I could be good enough. Maybe I could have my own shop if I worked hard enough.”
“Ash is a good boss then.”
“She’s the best.” I sigh, closing my eyes. “Why are you asking about my feelings? Why aren’t you over here, trying to seduce me?”
“Is that what you want me to do? Now I feel like you’re using me for my body.”
“I’m using you for your money. Also, your body.”
He chuckles. “I’m giving you a night to get settled.”
“Oh, wonderful. Then you’re going to be all over me.”
“More or less, yes, and I think you like it.”
I roll away from him, heart racing. “No, I absolutely don’t.”
“That sounds like yes, you absolutely do.” I feel him move behind me. His body’s so warm, so big. His hand drapes over my hip, and I could brush him away, but I don’t. “It’s easy to act like you hate this, isn’t it? Easy to pretend like you don’t enjoy being my wife. Like you don’t love the way I look at you. But the hard thing is so much better.”
“I can’t be someone I’m not,” I whisper, not looking back at him. “And I’m not the girl you want me to be.”
He’s silent for a little while. His hand remains on my hip, fingers pressed firmly into my skin, until he pulls away. I feel empty when he’s gone, and I instantly regret saying that. I wish he’d come back.
“Yes, you are,” he says, his voice sounding distant. “You just haven’t figured it out yet.”
Chapter23
Keely
Nolan’s gone before I get up. His pillow’s still warm, and his sheets smell like him. I lie in his spot, in the hollow made by his body, and feel like it’s swallowing me whole.
What am I doing here? In this lavish room, in this expensive house, in the nicest part of the city?
I grew up with nothing. My parents were lower middle class at best, but most poor people think they’re lower middle class. We didn’t have much, and it was always a source of stress. But growing up worrying about money taught me how to save, how to survive on not much, and prepared me for living on my own faster than most people my age.
Now it’s like I’ve stumbled into another world.
I get up, shower, dress, and find a note down on the kitchen island.Call 567-555-5135 and ask for a car. They’ll take you where you want to go. Love, your husband.
A car service. The idea of a car service would scandalize my parents. I call and get a ride in a very nice luxury sedan to the donut shop with only one detour down to a Starbucks drive-through.
Roger and the crew are there already. They greet me cheerfully as I head into the shop. “Crew’s in a good mood this morning,” I comment to Roger as he works on hanging a shelf. I note that he’s not having any issues at all. The bastard.
“All thanks to your husband paying double.” Roger’s grin is infuriating. “This work also beats the shit we were doing before.”
“Which was what?”
