Page 67 of Kiss From A Rose

His jaw tightened. "You know, you're right. I kept thinking I was so lucky to have a wife like you—I never tried to know ifyou thought you were lucky to have a husband like me. When I talked to people around me after you left, I found out that everyone thinks I'm bangin' my assistant and wanted you to leave."

I sniffled. "I don't think you were sleepin' with Aimee, but I did wonder if you wanted me to leave 'cause you knew if you asked me to leave, you'd have to give me money."

"I should've torn up that fucking prenuptial agreement years ago," he muttered. "Rose, consider it fucking void."

"What?"

"Yeah, there's no prenuptial agreement. If we get divorced by Georgia law, there will be an equitable distribution of marital assets. Trust me, a good lawyer can get you half of everything. Actually, how about this? If we do get divorced, I'll give you half of everything, including my inheritance, the company, and—"

"I don't want your money," I cried out.

"Ourmoney, Rose. It'sourfucking money. Listen to me. I'm not sayin' this because you left; I'm sayin' this because it's the truth. I can't defend the asshole I was when I was young…hell, babe, I can't even defend the grown-up asshole I've been, but money is not between us."

He seemed so sincere, I wanted to believe him; a part of medidbelieve him.

"I don't know what to say."

"I wish you'd give me a chance."

"To do what?"

"To make it right. To make you love me again. To make you trust me again. For us to be a family again." He moved to sit closer to me and took my hands in his. "I'm fuckin' lost without you. I can't breathe. I can't stay in that house, not without you."

There was a tremor in his voice, and I saw tears in his eyes in the moonlight.

"I can't go back," I whimpered. "Gray…I…wanted to die."

He pulled me to him and hugged me. "I know, babe. I know. I'm so sorry."

He was apologizing, saying all the things I could ever want him to say, but they were still just words. The familiar ache of old wounds made my heart heavy.

He pulled away to look at me. "Please don't hate me…more than you already do."

"Gray, I couldneverhate you," I vowed. "Never."

"You may after I tell you what I did."

I was almost afraid to hear it. Had he slept with Aimee? Someone else? What did he do?

"I went through your phone."

Say what?

"The one you left at home," he continued. "I…snooped."

I nodded, still not sure why he thought I'd hate him for that.

"I read the emails you sent to Dr. Mercer."

It took me a moment to contextualize what he was saying, and when I did, I gasped. I tried to pull my hands from his, but he wouldn't let me.

"Is that what this is all about? Did you tell the kids? Are you all here because you think I'm goin' to kill myself?" I couldn't keep my voice down. I was humiliated and angry. They were not here because they loved me. Jude wasn't making nice because he was sorry. They knew about my suicidal ideation, and they—

"Stop," Gray said sternly, "Stop going downthatfuckin' rabbit hole, Rose. The kids and I were already going to fight to get you backbeforeI even knew about those emails, okay?"

I tried again to wrench my hands away. Fury making me deaf to his words.

"Rose," he was gentle but stern. "Babe, listen to me. I know, and what that told me wasn't that you were some frail woman at the edge of having a nervous breakdown; it told me that you were a strong, badass woman who'd walked away from thepeople you loved because they weren't respecting you. A strong, wonderful woman who is the sole caregiver of her friend who is dyin'. A strong, amazing woman who has been growing a B&B business for years without ever telling anyone or takingany creditfor it."

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