Page 29 of Glamour & Gumballs

The conversation ended as we dug in.

And damn, I could get used to staying at the spa.

Rhett returned before I’d finished my plate. He took Kyle’s seat and remaining food.

After sharing an island and eating off leaves while rain poured on us for days, a few germs were the least of our worries.

“Enjoy,” Kyle called over his shoulder as he left. “I’m going to take a long-ass bath. Don’t wait up.”

We ate in silence until the food was gone, then leaned back in our chairs. With my belly so full, I was starting to get tired.

“So, Chaos,” Rhett said, his voice rough in a way I loved.

I needed to stop loving it, but that didn’t change the situation any.

“So, Rhett,” I drawled.

His lips curved upward just the tiniest bit. It was like the laughter I’d gotten out of him a few times—so quiet, it was hard to identify.

“You never told me why you were so focused on wreaking havoc. Or why you stopped.”

“I paused because of the rain,” I said. “It’s hard to come up with brilliant plans while you’re suffering.”

“Of course.”

“And you never told me why you’re so against taking a mate after the last one broke your heart.”

I watched for a flinch, waiting for a reaction, but Rhett didn’t seem triggered at all by my words.

He just studied me.

It made me feel kind of naked, even though I was damn sure I was wearing a gloriously soft robe.

Finally, he dipped his head. “Most of the guys would tell you I’m still in love with her. Kellie.”

“I’m not asking most of the guys.”

“You’re not,” he agreed. “And I’m not in love with her. Haven’t been for a long time. She was disgusted by what I was. I was too, for a while.”

“Then why are you against it?”

His gaze lingered on the wall behind me. I itched to look back, to see if there was a painting or something, but didn’t want to risk shutting him up by doing so.

“It was always a battle,” he finally said. “I’d ask her what she wanted for dinner, she’d tell me she didn’t care, and then she’d be upset that I hadn’t realized she wanted Chinese. She’d ask me to plan a special date night, I’d spend a few hours trying to come up with romantic shit, and she’d be disappointed when we got home because what I planned wasn’t what she’d envisioned.”

He let out a long breath. “The way I folded her laundry when I did it with mine wasn’t exactly how she wanted it. The food I made for dinner wasn’t what she happened to be craving. I woke up too early on the weekdays. Too late on the weekends. I made more money than her, which bothered her, but when I tried to pay for things, she insisted I was insulting her. The only thing we weren’t shit at was sex.”

If he was anywhere near as good as my fantasies, I didn’t have a problem believing that much.

“So, the summary of your reasoning is…” I trailed off, wanting to hear him explain his thoughts.

“I don’t want to spend eternity like that,” he said bluntly. “When she threw the engagement ring at me and walked away, it hurt—but I was relieved. So fucking relieved. I’d rather fade than land myself in another relationship.”

Well, that was… not what I was expecting him to say.

“I’m not exactly the poster-child for safe, happy relationships, but you do know that it’s not always like that, right? There’s therapy. There’s learning how to communicate. If she had been willing, you could’ve gotten there.”

He shook his head. “Not with her.”

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