Page 27 of Kiss From A Rose

An asshole husband?

"You forgot her birthday and then gave her a hard time because she wanted to celebrate because Bonnie wanted the family house or whatever shit. You've put your family, your kids, and yourself ahead of Rose. The thing is, it's fine to put other people ahead of your wife; it happens. Butall the time?"

Leah and Rose were friends—real friends, not the society kisses-in-the-air bullshit. When Ken and Leah divorced, I pretty much continued my relationship with Ken. I told Rose she couldn't invite Leah to parties at our place if Ken was there with his new wife.

"But, she's my friend, Gray," Rose protested.

"Ken and I work together. You know how it is."

"Then let's not invite Ken over this onetime. Maybe we can have Leah over—"

"I'm not having this discussion with you, Rose."

"But, Gray, Leah is—"

"Not my problem. See Leah on your own time," I finished. "I have work. I'll see you tonight."

So, saying, I left her in the kitchen, furious with her for wasting my time with mundane shit like who should be invited to a party. For Christ's sake, didn't she see that Ken was essential to Rutherford Architects? His contacts and his influence helped us get deals. But, oh no, she wanted to take her friend's side. There were no sides in business. Damn it, I should've married someone who understood that shit—a proper Atlanta society wife would have.

How often had I thought she was the wrong wife during situations like these? Not frequently, but it happened. I could lie to everyone in the world, but I couldn't lie to myself. The truth was that I did resent Rose for trapping me with her pregnancy. Not all the time. Not even that much anymore. But I had in the first few years. Once the kids were there, and I fell in love with them, it had faded, but the habit of resenting her for things that were not her fault, apparently, had remained. Unknowingly, unwittingly, or rather because of willful ignorance, I'd hurt my wife time and again for something I didn't even blame her for anymore, not that I should've in the first place. We made the twinstogether. She didn't fucking do it alone, did she?

"What do you want me to say, Leah?" I asked, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

She pushed the papers toward me. "Say you'll sign these. She isn't asking you for a dime. She's offering to have the Mercedes returned, but she requests you to arrange for that, if not she'll make sure to get it back as soon as she can.

My heart thundered. I looked at the divorce papers and quickly scanned them. She was takingnothing. She even had put in a monthly plan to return the measly five thousand she'd taken from the household account. The Rutherfords were one of the wealthiest families in Georgia, and my wife had a one-year plan with monthly payments to return five fucking thousand dollars.So, this was the ultimate verdict on our marriage—Rose didn't feel she had any rights.

When we started to see each other, I'd kept her a secret. My friends would absolutely understand why I was screwing around withtrailer trashthat looked like Rose because they all wanted to get into her pants. She was hot as fuck. Even in that hideous diner uniform, she was gorgeous. Andso,fucking sweet. But I didn't want them to know because they'd want to do her as well. They wouldn't have believed me if I told them she was a virgin. I was her first. She'd be branded a slut.

But then she got pregnant, and when she told me, I screamed at her for not using birth control and walked out of the single-room trailer she used to live in, where I used to see her, make love with her, and wake up with her.

I shared a house with friends close to Georgia Tech, but I couldn't take her there. I almost had a girlfriend those days, one my mother had been pushing on me. According to Mama, Violet Corbin, Congressman Corbin's daughter, would make the perfect Rutherford wife. Violet was cultured and beautiful and was studying at the University of Georgia. She wasn't as good-looking as Rose, but then most were not. But Violet looked good enough on my arm, another reason I couldn't take Rose to my place. Everyone was expecting Violet and me to gosteady. I'd kissed Violet, but we'd never had sex. She tried, but I found I just couldn't, not when the lovely Rose from the diner looked at me with her big eyes and bright smile, making everything inside me go beautifully quiet.

After Rose told me she was pregnant, I didn't see her for two weeks, hoping that she'd get rid of the baby. I was still ashamed to remember that.

I came to the diner with friends and Violet. We sat in her section. I wanted to end this nightmare of a relationship withRose. My mother would be livid if she found out that I knocked up someone like Rose.

"What can I get y'all?" Rose asked, a smile on her face.

She looked tired. There were dark circles around her eyes. She'd lost weight in the two weeks since I saw her. Was she not pregnant anymore? I wondered.

We ordered, and as she walked away, one of the guys said, "That girl has a fine ass. I wouldn't mind plowing into her one of these nights."

"God, you're such a pig," Violet protested while she snuggled up to me. "This is why I'm with Gray; he doesn't say such things."

No, he just plows intothat girl'sass and gets her pregnant, abandons her, hoping she'll get rid of the baby. I was that kind of special asshole.

Shame flowed through me, but I didn't know what to do. At no time did I think Rose was eighteen, alone in the world, working a dead-end job—she must be so fucking scared. All I thought was what my mother would say about me being careless and ruining my life and the family name.

When Rose came back with our orders, one of my friends asked her if she was free later for aquick conversation. The way he said it made my back go up, and I wanted to punch him. Rose had looked at me stricken, waiting for me to defend her, but I ignored her and allowed Violet to kiss my lips in front of her. I didn't look at Rose, but I heard her indrawn breath and watched her stumble away from our table.

There it was done, I thought. She knew we were over, and she'd take care of the baby if she still had it. Maybe I should give her some money, I thought belatedly.

"What do you want to do, Gray?" Leah asked.

I spoke from my heart. "I want my wife back."

"You don't deserve her," Leah remarked.

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