Page 99 of Love Him Like Water

“You really think that overprotective family of hers would sacrifice their youngest, sweetest girl to the devil himself?” she asked, rolling her eyes at me. “She agreed to marry you. She wanted to marry you. Against her family’s wishes.”

“What?” I asked, feeling like she’d knocked the air out of me. “Why? Why would she do that?”

She was so young.

So… not the kind of girl meant for this life.

Not the kind of woman meant to be with a man like me.

“Because, once upon a time, you saved a sweet little teenaged girl who just wanted to go book shopping on her own, from three grown-ass men who were harassing her,” Cinna said. “And she, apparently, had a crush on you ever since.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. Not because I thought she was lying. But because I didn’t want to believe that.

“Yes, actually. Yes. And then she married you, all stars in her eyes because she was seeing her little girlhood fantasy come to life. Then you, what, took her virginity? Showed her orgasms and maybe some sweetness, hooking, and reeling her even more…”

That… that was true.

I couldn’t deny any of that.

I’d seen parts of myself with Lore that I didn’t even know existed. A more patient, kinder side. One who wanted to hold her, who wanted to stay in bed with her just to be close.

“And with this marriage, her world got smaller until all there was for her was you. Making her fall all the more. Even as you ignored her to the point of abusing her. Can you fucking blame her for finally having enough of you? Of the hope and the disappointment that immediately followed? I’m glad she finally took a stand and left your ass.”

With that, she stormed off, disappearing down a side street.

“Whoa. What was that?” Rico asked, moving toward me, his steps slow, letting me know his ribs were worse than he was letting on. But there was no time for that shit right now.

“She’s pissed at me,” I said.

“Saw that. Over what?”

“Lore.”

“Did you find her?” he asked, hope spilling into his voice.

“She wasn’t taken, as far as I can tell. She… left.”

Fuck, even just repeating that was a knife to the chest.

“She left? Left… you?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Shit,” Rico said, letting out a small laugh, then wincing and pressing a hand to his ribs. “Knew you must be difficult to live with, but damn. Ran off your wife in what? A month? Six weeks? Can’t even keep it straight. Can’t be much longer than that, though. That’s gotta be a record.”

“Thanks for your support, man,” I said, exhaling hard as I reached for my phone, shooting off a text to Elian and Dav, so they didn’t keep running themselves ragged.

“What are you gonna do?” Rico asked after several long silent moments.

“He’s gonna go after her,” Elian said, coming out of his car, making me realize I’d been too distracted by my thoughts to even notice him pull up and climb out.

“Right. Right. Can’t have the family knowing your alliance isn’t working out,” Rico said, nodding. “Not with all this shit going on.”

“It’s not about what anyone thinks,” I snapped. “I’d eat a bowl of water with a fucking fork before I gave a single fuck what they think of me and my marriage.”

Rico’s brows shot up.

“Then what’s it about?”

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