Page 7 of Fractured Frets

“Don’t doubt anything. So promise me one thing.” She softened her tone, raised her glass, and pointed a finger at me. “Talk to Slip. Please?”

“I will.” Tomorrow. Maybe the day after.

“Good. Call me anytime. I’m here for you. Always.”

“Same. I love you.” I blew her a kiss.

“You too.”

I ended the call and placed my wine on the coffee table. Another knock sounded on my door. “Hold on. I’m coming.” I hauled myself off the sofa and opened the door.

My breath shot from my lungs.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

“Slip?” I clutched onto the door to steady myself. “W-what are you doing here?”

Chapter 3

MADDY

Slip rushed through my front door. He caught my face between his hands and kissed me. Kissed me hard. The flick and taste of his tongue made my head spin. His pain and heartache and anguish jolted through my bones. I grabbed onto his arms for support. My knees, too weak to hold me upright.

Cradling my face, he shuffled me backward into the living room. My heavy front door closed behind him. “Mads, I didn’t know whether to kiss you or fall to my knees and beg you not to walk away. But this option was the clear winner.”

“You shouldn’t be here.” I trembled all over. “You have the tour.”

“You’re more important.”

I shook my head. Placing my hand on his chest, I pushed back a step and put a foot of distance between us, clinging onto my resolve. “No. We made a mistake.”

“We didn’t.” He closed the gap I’d just made and cupped the side of my neck. “I’m dead sober, and I’d still marry you in a heartbeat. I want to stay married.”

“We can’t. We have to be sensible.”

“Not my forte.” He clutched my shoulders and pinned me with his gaze. “I don’t need to know every detail about your past, but I want to know more and more about you. We’ve had other relationships that didn’t end well. But I got you to the altar. I didn’t run off with someone else. I married you because I love you and want this to work.”

The blood drained from my face. “You . . . you know about Noah?”

“Yes. Sutton told me.” Hurt flashed in his eyes in slow waves. “Why didn’t you ever tell me the whole story?”

“Um...” I eased out of his hold and rubbed the ache in my brow. “You don’t dump that kind of shit on someone you’re causally fucking.”

“We passed that stage a long time ago, and you know it. Nothing about your ex would’ve changed the way I feel about you. The universe intervened and stopped you from making a mistake with Noah. But what we did isn’t one.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because we love each other.”

“Stop saying that.” I winced, my heart shuddering and skipping each time his words slammed into me.

“Why?” Anguish drifted across his eyes. “Are...are you seeing someone else?”

“No.”

“Then why do you want to end this?” Frustration furled through his voice.

I stood my ground. “What kind of marriage will we have when we’ll be apart most of the time?”

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