Page 18 of Summer With You

Ten unread messages from his assistant.

My worst nightmare was coming true.

Opening the chat, I took a steadying breath before scrolling through the messages.

Is your sister okay?

The whole office heard about Celine. Did she lose the baby?

I moved all your meetings to next month.

Daniel called for you this afternoon, I told him you’d call back soon.

The office is so quiet without you and your brother-in-law.

Can I take Friday off? My sister is getting married on Saturday.

I still need a plus one, any suggestions?

Is everything okay? Why aren’t you answering?

Is your wife yelling at you again?

Does she know yet?

Bile rose in my throat as the text messages turned from innocent messages between coworkers to her flirting with my husband.

I was going to kill him.

Throwing the phone at his chest, he jumped upright, hands out, eyes scanning the room for the threat until they landed on me, and he relaxed. “What the hell was that for, Amber? It’s one in the morning.” He checked the phone before putting it back on the nightstand.

“What the fuck are all those messages from your assistant?” My voice shook, and he swallowed loudly.

Caught. It was the sign of a caught man.

Bile rose in my throat.

“You went through my phone?” he questioned, placing both his feet on the side of the bed as he sat there, hunched over.

I snapped, “Well, I was trying to sleep, and the bitch was calling you at one in the morning, Ryan!”

“I’m sure it was work-related,” he mumbled, looking at the ground.

“Are you actually defending her right now?! I can’t believe this!” I paced at the end of the bed, trying to think of the right words, but I paused and looked at him. “Are you having an affair with her?” With strength I didn’t know that I possessed, I stood before him and waited. I waited for my husband to tell me that he had been cheating on me while I was carrying his children and raising the other three at home.

A look of pure horror passed over his features as he snapped his head up to look at me. He knelt before me and grabbed my trembling hands. “I would never cheat on you, Amber, let alone touch another woman who isn’t you. What on earth makes you think that?”

“You’ve been so distant the last few months. We haven’t had sex since I found out I was pregnant, and you’re rarely home, Ryan.” My voice trembled. I hated being weak—I didn’t want to be weak. “What else am I supposed to think?” Ripping my hands out of his, I take a step back to suck in a much-needed breath of air.

He didn’t move, looking up at me. I could only imagine what was going through his head.

“I’ve never cheated on you, Amber, and I’ve never thought about it, either. I love you.”

“But you aren’t in love with me anymore. Admit it.” I folded my arms across my chest to protect myself from the impending blow.

“What on earth are you talking about?” he exclaimed. I wished he would stop trying to save my feelings. It only hurt more. “I love you with every fiber of my being. I don’t want anyone else, you crazy woman.”

“Then what in the hell are those text messages about? Asking about me yelling at you? If you told me about something? What am I supposed to think, Ryan?” The first tear broke through my wall, quickly followed by another. I reached up and swiped them away, but more quickly followed.

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