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“Thank you for being so flexible.” He squeezed my thigh. “I know I’m asking for a lot.”
“It’s fine,” I said, even though I didn’t feel fine.
When we went to bed, Bryce was still distracted. He pulled me against his chest, but he seemed far away as he stared at the ceiling.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine. I’m just thinking about the company and about my father.”
“And?”
“I’m worried.”
I snuggled against him. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. You should get some rest, Chloe.” He kissed the top of my head. “Big day tomorrow.”
I didn’t want to ask what that meant. It probably had something to do with an interview for another major news outlet, God help me. The whole idea—and the fact that Bryce had outright asked me to do it, even though he knew I was petrified—left a bad taste in my mouth.
I burrowed against his big muscles. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
There was no “l” word. There was no sex. Stress emanated from Bryce. As I lay there, I reminded myself to be understanding—he was in for the fight of his life. Because of the investigation, everything his family had worked for was vulnerable. Even if his father managed to avoid the charges, the company’s forecast could suffer because of all the upheaval. The future of Windsor Enterprises hung in the balance, and the responsibility for that future lay largely with my husband.
Even as I was pressed against his chest, he felt far away from me, removed. No one would notice the shift except me, but I knew his focus had changed. Gone was the relaxed, happy Bryce who cracked terrible jokes and had a constant hard-on. Back was the focused, driven entrepreneur that let nothing interfere with his work. I loved them both—I lovedhim—but I vastly preferred relaxed and happy Bryce. Still, my job was supporting him in good timesandbad. Wasn’t that what our marriage vows said?
But I wondered as I drifted off toward sleep if Bryce could say he’d do the same for me.
TWENTY-FOUR
drama
When I woke up,I was alone. Bryce hadn’t left a note, but I already knew where he was—down in the study, in his suit, up to his eyeballs in strategy. I’d slept fitfully, and every time I’d rolled over, I’d sensed that my husband was still awake. His mind must’ve been churning all night. No wonder he’d fled our bed for the office, and it wasn’t yet six a.m. Bryce was a do-er; he wanted to make things happen. He wanted to save his world before it collapsed.
I sat in bed, letting my thoughts roam. Gene Windsor had been an absolute nightmare last night; no surprise there. The fact that he’d singled me out as a target for his wrath was awful. But there was nothing I could do about it. Bryce had been right to a certain extent: I shouldn’t take it personally. Gene didn’t even know me as a person. The fact that he hated me because of where I came from said way more about him than it did about me.
The thing that hurt—the thing I didnotwant to process—was that my husband said I should do more press. He knew how I felt about it. He knew I didn’t want to put myself out there, to be under a microscope, to pretend I had something of genuine interest to say to the world. I was nineteen, about to turn twenty, and although that was young, it was also old enough to know better. Like Gene said, I wasn’t truly a Windsor. I didn’t have any right to speak for the family or to be showcased in any way. I was a fraud. I was a hired bride!
I couldn’t help but wonder—and it made me hate myself for doing it—how Felicia Jones would handle the situation. With grace, most likely, and acumen. She was born to be in the public eye. She would be, as Gene Windsor might phrase it, an asset.
I was nothing of the sort. I was the opposite…a liability.
Groaning, I got up and grabbed my phone.Oh, crap.There were nine messages from Lydia, and three missed calls, all from the middle of the night. With shaking hands, I opened the messages.
We saw you on the tv. Who do u think you are?
Talking about your billionaire husband while your father
and I live in this shit hole!
You outta be ashamed of yourself
I am going to fuck your shit up just like I told you
Watch your back you little bitch
Acting like u r something special
