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He stares at me for a second too long before he gives me a clipped nod and a ghost of a smile cracks his face. “Yeah. We’re done.”
“Great. Thanks.” My tone is cold, callous, and taciturn.
I turn away from him once more, and this time, he allows me to leave. For a moment, I feel a sense of triumph for what I said. It lasts until I reach outside, then the gloom comes because I know as ballsy as I sounded, I’m not.
It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters now, only that I do what I agreed to do.
I glance at the gorgeous ring on my finger. My new mark of ownership and a reminder that my new job has just begun.
Fake fiancée today.
Fake wife in one months’ time.
Think of the money, River, and all the things you’ll be able to do for your family.
And myself.
If this is the price of my freedom, I’ll take it and shove the memories of the past out of my mind.
Forever.
ChapterNineteen
Jericho
Idon’t like the way she saidfake marriage.
Or the way she called mefriend.
I hated the nonchalance on River’s face, too, as she basically confirmed she’d be having a fuck fest the moment the ink is dry on our divorce papers.
It serves me right that she grew a pair of balls and handed me my ass with that comment. I had it coming. Even I know I was an asshole to her. Human one minute, the cold-hearted villain the next.
My gaze is fixed on the swans swimming together in the river across from me.
I’m in the park across from Royal Enterprises, Neil’s workplace.
I thought meeting somewhere neutral would be better for us, so I chose the park. It’s somewhere he can get to in five minutes, and it won’t feel like an intrusion. Like if I’d gone to his home.
He agreed to meet with me here at noon. That’s in ten minutes. I got here early to establish the comfort and control I’ll need for this meeting I really don’t want to have.
It would help immensely if I could get my head together and stop thinking about River being with other men.
I can’t blame her for what she said to me. Not for any of it.
It’s just that thinking about River being with some other guy has riled me up in all the wrong ways I shouldn’t feel.
Our marriagewillbe fake, so she’d be entitled to be with whoever she wants when this is over. In fact, she wouldn’t even need to wait. Being fake means not real, so it wouldn’t be cheating.
And what about me? The same could be said for me. Unconventional sex is more my thing, and since the Preacher Man’s wife scandal, I’ve been more careful.
So careful I haven’t been with a woman in months. A first for me. But then there’s also the matter of being so fixated on my ex I could hardly think straight when it came to choosing a wife.
Now the possessive bastard inside me that can’t leave well enough alone.
It’s Monday, so I’ve been going crazy all weekend, and I’m still torturing myself at the worst time possible.
I haven’t seen Neil in years, so I need to be on my game. The last time we spoke was on the doorstep of the house he used to live in.
