Page 35 of Essence of his Soul

I turned my gaze to him in amazement. “How did you remember?”

His lips pursed, his voice lowering as he said, “I told you before that there isn’t much about you that I’ve forgotten.”

Except for me, I thought, watching him place our orders, the weight of his words settling over me, leaving me with more questions than answers.

He pulled up to the cashier and remained quiet as we waited for our food, the silence between us thick, filled with things neither of us was ready to say.

* * *

“I’m not used to a woman turning me down,” I admitted, handing the cashier a twenty-dollar bill. “Rejection is not something I deal with every day.” My voice sounded tight, and I knew it wasn’t just frustration. Underneath it all, it was my ego that took the hit.

Sitting beside me, Essence replied softly, “I almost got married once for the wrong reason.”

Her words caught me off guard, and I turned to her. “You’ve been engaged? When?”

She kept her eyes forward, her voice steady. “He was a guy I was dating before I met you.”

I reached for the bag the cashier handed me and passed it to her. We’d never talked about our past relationships before. I hadn’t asked, and she hadn’t offered—just like I’d never brought up Carmen. “What happened?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

Essence removed a couple of loose fries from the bag and handed them to Tyler in the backseat. “I was in love, and he wasn’t.”

I pulled away from the drive-thru window and parked at the back of the lot. Once the car was in Park, I turned to face her. “How long were you engaged?”

She let out a small, regretful sigh. “Long enough for my father to announce the prenuptial during one of his sermons.”

“Ouch,” I muttered, imagining the embarrassment. “What was his deal?”

“His wife had died of cancer, leaving him to raise two toddlers. He didn’t want love—just a mother for his sons.”

“That man was a fool,” I said, unable to hold back my reaction.

“No… marrying for the wrong reason is foolish,” she countered, her tone sharp enough to cut.

I felt my temper rise but kept it in check. Was she comparingme to that dude? Was that why she thought marrying me would be a mistake?

“How’d you find out the truth?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

Essence met my gaze, her eyes searching mine like she was trying to figure out if I’d still be around if it wasn’t for Tyler. I knew that was part of her hesitation—part of why she couldn’t see herself marrying me. “I found him in bed with another woman,” she said flatly.

“Bastard,” I muttered, feeling angry on her behalf.

She shrugged, trying to play it off. “He didn’t love me. He was only marrying me for his kids.”

I could hear the hurt she was trying to hide, but it was there, lingering in her voice.

“So, I moved on with my life… and then met you.”

I tossed her a look, leaning in a little closer. “I’m not him.”

Her eyes flared with emotion. “But you want to marry me for the same reason, right?”

“Tyler is a good reason.”

“No, it isn’t,” she shot back. “Clark didn’t love me, so of course he cheated. I’m just glad it happened before we got married. You don’t love me either, so what’s to say it won’t happen again?”

“I’m not him,” I said firmly.

Essence stared at me, her gaze distant, lost in thought. Maybe she was thinking about how things ended between us two years ago. I couldn’t blame her if she was.

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