Page 102 of After the Vows

She sighs. “I don’t know why you have to be this difficult.”

I’m the one being difficult? Holly always has been delusional.

I motion to the door. “It’s time for you to leave.”

“You’re not going to let me stay here?”

Completely and utterly delusional. “My family lives here. You are not a part of my family.”

She stomps her foot but I’m not letting her throw a temper tantrum. I herd her toward the door.

“Have your lawyer contact my lawyer,” I say before shutting the door in her face.

I wait until she gets into her rental car and drives off before I dig out my phone and dial Chloe. I need to be with my family after experiencing that shit show.

Chapter 33

Staying – harder than running away. Scarier, too.

Chloe

“Is everything okay?” I ask Lucas once we’re finally in bed.

We’re both exhausted and ready for sleep. It took a while for Natalia to settle down. She was understandably upset when we returned home and her mom was gone. And hadn’t bothered to leave a message for her. But I need to know what happened between Lucas and Holly.

He climbs into bed next to me. “I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, but I do.”

I roll over to face him. “Tell me what?”

“Holly is suing for custody of Natalia.”

That bitch doesn’t deserve to have a daughter. With more control than I thought possible, I keep my tone calm. “Weknew this was bound to happen. It’s why we got married in the first place.”

He cringes. “About our marriage…”

“What is it?”

He cups my chin. “Holly knows our marriage started out fake.”

I gasp. “But how? My friends and family know but they wouldn’t tell anyone. Small towns love to gossip but they know how to keep secrets, too.”

He brushes the hair off of my forehead. “I don’t know how she knows. I don’t know what she knows. But I wouldn’t be surprised if she claims we got married to fool the judge into granting me custody.”

My stomach dips. This is worse than I thought. I can’t believe Holly knows.

“It’s going to be okay.” He wraps his arms around me and draws me near. I melt into his arms where I feel safe. The only place I’ve ever felt completely safe and accepted.

He kisses my hair. “Go to sleep. We’ll talk to a lawyer this week and figure things out.”

Within minutes, Lucas’s breathing evens out. But I can’t sleep.

Thoughts churn round and round in my mind. Would Lucas be better off if I weren’t in the picture? Will it hurt his chances of keeping custody of Natalia if the judge finds out our marriage is fake?

Should I leave?

Should I stay?

When the first streams of daylight are visible through the window, I still don’t have an answer. I think I know what I need to do, but I’m afraid.

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