Page 39 of On The Rocks

No she won’t, I thought to myself.Because you’ve done that all by yourself.

The morning of the wedding, the ceremony itself, and the conversation afterward were all bad enough, but this cut deep. The dishonesty of it all made me ache.

If Callum had sat me down and given me a heads-up, I would’ve hated it, probably even hated him for a while, but I would’ve at least respected him. He had no way of knowing we’d get married when he got with Shannon.

But the fact he’d knowingly kept it from me was a shitty move.

Trust me for getting embroiled in a shitty marriage with a shitty husband. Life had been nothing but a disappointment, so it stood to reason the man who put a ring on my finger would turn out to be one too.

I was so deep inside my own head that I didn’t notice the conversation quieten. My door flew open, and Shannon all but bowled me over in her hurry to get out of there. I would’ve fallen to my ass if a strong hand hadn’t reached out and grabbed my waist.

“Maeve,” Shannon murmured almost regretfully.

I cocked an eyebrow and softly sang, “Surprise.”

Callum chuckled until my eyes met his, and I skewered him with a look.

His smile died, and he studied me closely. “Go,” he ordered Shannon, his eyes never leaving mine.

My stepsister obeyed and took off like her ass was on fire.

“I wanted to tell you—” he began.

I let out a humorless laugh. “Liar. You had no intention of saying shit.”

His mouth tightened.

“I need to pack,” I murmured.

His face softened. “Thank you for understanding. It was before us. I’d never have gone there if I knew we’d end up getting?—”

“I don’t care,” I interrupted.

His forehead furrowed in confusion.

“We’ll go to Wyoming, keep up appearances, and then after a few months, we’ll come to the mutual decision that our marriage was rushed, and it won’t work. I’ll leave, we’ll get divorced, and we’ll get on with our lives. But what youwon’tdo is fuck around with other women, Callum O’Shea. You’ve humiliated me enough. While we’re married and officially together, you’ll keep your overused dick in your pants and behave like the married man you just became of your own free will.”

He stared down at me.

“Today has been the worst day of my life,” I shared. “And seeing as I’ve lost both parents, that’s a big statement. A girl dreams of her wedding day, but mine’s been a damned nightmare. So, when we get to Wyoming, I want you to have a care that all this is new for me, too, and then we’ll talk about what’s next.”

His beautiful eyes searched mine. He must have found what he was looking for because he muttered, “I’ve hurt you.”

Tears sprang up behind my gaze. “Yeah, but it’s not what you think. I knew there was a big chance this wouldn’t work and I’d get hurt, but I always believed you were a decent man and you’d at least have respect for me. I admit, the fact you’ve blindsided me about our marriage is depressing, but being wrong about your heart and your morals is what hurts.”

He looked at me, stunned for a second, before he raised his hand and whipped my glasses off. But what shocked me the most was what he did next. It was something so unexpected and so stunningly sad that it brought a lump to my throat.

He rested his forehead against mine and whispered, “You’re too good for me, Maeve Monroe; I’ve known it since the minute I picked you up off the hallway floor after that bitch tripped you. My life’s empty because I never did anything that meantanything, whereas you’re so filled to the brim with everything good and decent it shames me. When you inevitably leave me—‘cause why the fuck wouldn’t you?—I’ll wish you well. But until then, I’ll prove how deeply I respect you because I do—more than you’ll ever know. I’m sorry I made you think differently.”

I closed my eyes as he gave me a soft forehead kiss, his lips lingering on my skin. “Hurry up and pack the last of your things. I wanna get us the fuck outta here and take you home.” His head lifted, and he turned and walked away, leaving me staring after him with my jaw on the floor.

Who the hell was this guy? I didn’t have the experience to work him out, which would eventually lead to my downfall because it would be so easy to let my emotions creep in and so easy to let go of all my inhibitions and lead with my heart.

And that made Callum O’Shea dangerous.

In the space of one day, he’d put me through every emotion imaginable. I’d experienced more highs and lows in twenty-four hours than I’d known in my entire life. For a girl like me, who never had that before, I knew it would be easy to become addicted to him and the way he made me feel alive, in both good and very bad ways.

I needed to lock my heart safely away if I was going to get through the following months and leave the marriage with my peace of mind intact.

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