Page 1 of The Amendment

CHAPTER ONE

AINSLEY

My husband was a monster.

It was something I’d come to accept over the years.

It could also be argued, I supposed, that I was equally monstrous. Some of the things I’ve done to keep our family together were questionable, morally gray, I would say. But it was all a matter of opinion.

What mattered was that it worked.

I fixed us.

At least, I would.

We were a work in progress. Aren’t we all?

I glanced over to the passenger seat where Peter sat, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt.

I swatted his hand. “Leave it alone.”

His brow rose just a hair, but he didn’t bother arguing. Lately, he didn’t argue with anything I said. He’d become my lapdog, dutifully doing whatever I needed or whatever I said.

I thought it was what I wanted.

A quiet coexistence.

But, truth be told, I missed the spark I used to see in his eyes. I missed who we used to be… Before.

Before our world changed.

Before he found out I knew his secrets.

My latest mission was to bring that version of my husband back.

Whatever it took.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, twisting his wedding band around his finger.

“Of course I am. Why?” I pulled the car into the paved parking lot of our new therapist’s office.

He shook his head, staring at the glass door with her name on it.

Joanna St. James, LMFT

“I’m just not sure we’remarriage counselingpeople. She’s going to see right through us.”

I shut the car off, resting my hands in my lap. “Don’t be ridiculous. What exactly aremarriage counselingpeople, Peter?”

He practically flinched as I said his name, though I’d thought I was speaking gently. “Just forget it. Let’s go in.”

I reached for his hand as he started to open the door, and he stopped, glancing over at me. “I want to do this because I want to fix us. You know that. I want to rebuild our trust.”

His stony expression softened. “I want that, too. You know I do. It’s just…” He sighed, looking back at the office door through the windshield. “I don’t know what we’ll even talk about. Our problems aren’t exactly normal.”

He winced as he said it, and I let his words wash over me. We sat in silence for a moment, and when he finally looked up at me, a laugh slipped through my lips.

Then more laughter.

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