Page 75 of Secret Marriage To My Bosshole

I debate ignoring it. I'm not really in the mood for company, but the knocking grows louder and more persistent.

With a sigh, I abandon the coffee and head for the door, wondering who could be so insistent.

As I swing the door open, Jake's standing there, looking like he's about to explode. His scowl could probably scare off a grizzly bear.

"I should punch you again. I really should," he growls, "but I won't. Not yet, anyway."

I gesture for him to come in, trying to keep my cool. "Jake, what are you doing here?"

He follows me into the kitchen, where I'm making coffee. His tone is sharp. "What the hell are you doing, Griffin?"

I offer him a cup of coffee, trying to lighten the mood. He ignores it and takes a seat on the island.

"That's not what I meant," he says, his voice firm. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

I lean against the counter, avoiding his gaze. "Look, I don't know what you want from me, Jake."

Jake's eyes narrow as he takes in my appearance. "You smell like you spent the night in a brewery," he says.

I glance down at my shirt, pretending to inspect it. "Must've spilled some beer on myself last night."

He shakes his head, clearly not buying it. "Drinking to numb the pain isn't the answer, Griffin. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

I'm just trying to punish myself. I love Cora, but I know my family would only make her life miserable.

"Cora deserves so much more," I mutter, turning to the coffee pot as it fills.

I pour myself a mug and blow on it before taking a long sip. The coffee warms me from the inside out, easing some of the headache that's been lingering.

Jake stands up and pours himself a mug, then settles back down. "I was just starting to accept the idea of you and Cora being married, and then you sent her divorce papers."

"Yeah, I did."

"And you think that's what she deserves? A divorce?"

"I'll still take care of her. I'll make sure she has the money to pay off her debts and start her own business."

"That's not the point, Griffin." Jake rubs his temples. "She loves you, damn it. You married her, you started a life together, and now you're just ending it like it's nothing?"

I slam the mug down on the counter, some of the steamy coffee sloshing over the side and onto the back of my hand. “For fuck’s sake.”

Pain blooms as I spin and cram my hand under the tap, turning on the water and letting it run until the sting subsides. I wrap my hand up in a towel before cleaning the spilled mess.

When I’m done, I look at Jake, tightness spreading in my chest. “Do you really think that leaving Cora was easy?”

“You sure make it seem that way.”

I sigh. “No. It’s not. It’s hard as hell, and I feel like I’m climbing a mountain with the weight of the world strapped to my back every fucking day.”

Jake’s brow furrows, the lines on his face deepening. “None of this is making any sense. Your relationship got leaked to the media, so what? Nobody cares.”

I bite my cheek, trying to figure out how much he already knows and how much I can tell him.

Jake downs half his coffee. “Griff—I can stay here all day until you tell me what the hell is going on.”

He gets up from the stool and heads over to the couch, sprawling out across it and grabbing the remote.

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