Page 20 of Wedlocked

He deserves better.

“What’s that look?” Win pondered, grabbing my face with gloved hands to lift it.

“You know I love you, right?” I whispered.

With the hand not holding my face, he pushed up the aviators so I could see the sincerity in his golden-hued eyes. He was my sun. Warm and bright. “I know.” He agreed. “And I love it when you give me hell.”

That lump was back in my throat. “I lied to you,” I confessed, the words ripping right out of me, painful and raw.

He jolted, hand falling from my face as he straightened. “About what?”

I glanced down at my feet. “I’m not a bad skier.”

“But you said?—”

“I know what I said,” I shot out, then grimaced. In a much more even tone, I said, “I lied.”

Win pursed his lips. “I knew you were being squirrely.”

I wrinkled my nose. “What?”

“Why’d you lie, angel?”

His tone was soft, cajoling even.

It made me suspicious. “Why do you sound like that?”

“Like what?”

“Aren’t you mad?”

He shifted, and I stepped back.

Win’s eyes narrowed, the sun slipping behind the clouds. “Did you just flinch away from me?”

“No,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Yes, you did.”

“I did not flinch.”

He stepped forward, and I stiffened. He froze, a frown pulling down his kissable mouth. “I’m not mad at you, Lars,” he implored, keeping himself planted where he was. “But maybe you could tell me why you think I am.”

“Because I lied. Even after you asked me directly.”

“And why did you lie?”

This was stupid. The conversation going in circles. And look at him… being patient. Even when I knew he probably wanted to demand answers. Prism was right, something I obviously knew but maybe needed to be reminded of.

He loves me.

He is not my ex.

“I’m, ah, actually really good at skiing.”

“So what Rush said about it being your favorite besides swimming, that’s true.”

I nodded.

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