Page 60 of The Marriage Agreement (Agreement)

I take a glass of white wine and hand it to her. She gulps it down, and I hand her another with a sheepish smile. Another waiter passes by us, and we each grab a bite. When she reaches for another item from a different tray, I stop her hand and pull her closer to me, whispering gently in her ear, “That has pork in it.” She nods. I close my eyes, taking a moment to inhale her scent, then plant a kiss at the base of her neck, my hands moving steadily on her back. She lets out a soft moan.It’s going to be a good night.

I want to say more, but I feel eyes on me. I look in the direction of the gaze and my eyes clash with Lily’s fiery eyes, aimed at meand invisible daggers in Dele’s back. I send her a wide smile. She scowls back and looks away.

“Well, hello there.” I turn at the sound of Declan and his wife, Anne. Anne immediately pulls Dele into a hug.

The evening gets more pleasant as I watch Dele relax, talking and laughing with Anne. I should do this again with her, hang out with Declan and Anne. It’s clear they get along.

On our drive home, I tell her about my upcoming trip that’s coming up faster than I had planned.

“Ayo mi, I have to travel in a few days for work.” I’m not happy about this trip. In the last few days, I’ve chipped away at Dele’s brick wall, and that can only happen when I’m on the ground. If I leave for two weeks, some bricks might get rebuilt. I’ll just have to find a way to stay on her mind for the next two weeks. I know she’s all about work and school. She has agreed to stop taking extra hours, which was shocking but made me happy because she’s not overworking herself. My being away shouldn’t be a reason for her to pick up extra hours, but I know her. I’m going to have Bruce keep an eye on her, make sure she’s safe.

“For how long?” she asks.

“About two weeks, hopefully, shorter if I can help it.”

“It’s going to be weird not having you around.”

“Does that mean you’re going to miss me?” I say, taking her hand.

She blushes. “I think it does.”

I smile, with a feeling like I’m walking on air.

As soon as we get home, I don’t waste time taking her dress off and making love to her. When she curls up in my arms, I dislike the idea of leaving her for the next two weeks even more.

Chapter 41

DELE

Luke has only been gone for two days, and it feels like he’s been gone for months. I miss him a lot. The house is too quiet. I just clocked out and don’t feel like going to our quiet home or studying. The space feels like a perfect magazine cover—eerily quiet without Luke. I know Osei is out with his new female interest; he’s been buzzing about her. I’ll find out in a week how much he likes her.

Where do I go now?

“Go and visit your father-in-law.”My eyebrows rise.“Think about it—he’s probably alone without Luke as well.”

“A bit bold, but why not?”

Starting my car, I head to my father-in-law’s place. I’m a bit nervous, but he’ll either receive me or kick me out. At least I will know what to expect going forward. My heart races against my ribcage as I drive to Mr. Blythe’s place. I found a parking spot in front of the building across the street, since I don’t have a code to get into the basement parking like Luke did the first time wecame here. Grabbing my backpack, I head to the front door. The doorman remembers me and lets me in. My hands shake as I press the bell. When the door swings open, I see a new nurse, not Susanna.

“Hi, I’m here to see Mr. Blythe.”

“And you are?” Her tone is polite, but her hesitant stance seems questioning.

“His daughter-in-law. My name is Dele Blythe.” Her eyes widen but she quickly hides the shock of seeing a Black girl in scrubs as Mr. Blythe’s daughter-in-law. She gives me a doubtful look.

“Wait here,” she says, closing the door. I interlace my hands and shift my backpack, trying to find a good balance. I feel sweaty, with more sweat building up in my armpits.This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have come.

I start to count to ten. If she doesn’t return, I’m leaving. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight… The door swings open.

“Mrs. Blythe, please come in.”

“Thank you,” I respond, letting out a sigh. I follow the nurse inside.

“Sorry for making you wait. Mr. Blythe Senior doesn’t get any visitors, and I didn’t know the younger Mr. Blythe was married. Congratulations, by the way,” she says, smiling.

“Thank you,” I reply.

She stops at the door and I gently knock before entering. He’s in bed and looks tired.

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