Page 15 of The Ring Thief
He doesn’t seem to hear me. “I neglected to give you me, I guess. And Declan… well, he’s ambitious, driven. His entire focus has been on Nexus and continuing his father’s legacy. Honestly, he reminded me so much of me, and I didn’t want the cycle to keep repeating, Lily. You deserve so much better than that.”
I clear my throat, trying to keep my voice even. “What changed?”
Dad lets out a contented sigh, his eyes warm as he looks at me. “It was all in the way he looked when he first saw you walking down the aisle towards him. He looked at you like you were his everything. You found a man who won’t just give you security, Lilypad. He’d give you the world if he could.”
I didn’t linger after my dad’s little speech. I still wasn’t ready to let him in on everything, so I told him that I wanted to spend time with Sasha while Declan was working late.
Luckily, Sasha hadn’t needed any convincing and she’d picked me up, which is how I found myself on her couch, drinking wine out of a box and eating my body weight in chocolate.
“Why did you have that in your car?” I ask curiously, pointing at the box parked on the coffeetable.
She shrugs, grimacing as she sips from her glass. “Emergency wine supply?” she guesses, before admitting, “I don’t actually know. And I don’t know how long it’s been there. But it works, right?” A beat passes. “Wine doesn’t go off, does it?”
We stare at each other, before simultaneously deciding we don’t care. I hold a piece of chocolate out, offering it to her, but she waves me off. “I have an early morning class, and I need to fit into my yoga pants.”
I wonder why wine is okay, but chocolate isn’t, but it’s not an argument I’m actually invested in, so it dies a sudden death before ever leaving my mouth.
My phone chimes beside me and I pick it up, expecting it to be Declan even though he hasn’t tried to contact me at all today. Instead, it’s a message from Silvia.
No words but an attached image.
I blink down at the screen, feeling more cracks appearing in the shield I’ve been trying to pull around myself. “Oh my god…”
“What?” Sasha’s head swings around at my tone, her eyes wide. “What is it?” She scrambles from her end of the couch to mine, peering over my shoulder. “Oh my god,” she echoes. “That absolute dickbag!
“Dickbag?” I murmur, eyes fixed on the image of Declan sitting across from her. The photo was taken from the outside, looking through the window at them, and I know the place. I’ve met Declan there for a quick lunch during the day, or we would stop on the way back to his place if we didn’t feel like cooking. We’ve probably sat at that very table, looking just as intimate as they do. They’re leaning towards each other, soft smiles on their faces. It looks cozy and not at all like an ‘emergency’ at work.
“Yeah, shorthand for bag of dicks. Who sent you this?” Sasha demands.
“Silvia,” I whisper brokenly.
“Well, maybe it’s not from today,” she reasons. “Maybe it’s an old photo…” She trails off when I zoom in on his hand, resting right on top of hers, wedding band in plain sight. “Oh.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as Sasha snatches the phone from my hand, grumbling under her breath. After a moment, she announces, “I’ve put your phone on Do Not Disturb.” She tucks it away out of my reach,turning to me with a fierce frown. “We’re not doing this, not tonight. He’s an asshole, but he’ll still be an asshole tomorrow.”
She tucks an arm around my shoulders, drawing me against her. I don’t resist, lying my head on her shoulder, staring at the TV screen as it plays some reality show about someone else’s romance, and the way they publicly air their drama out.
Am I now one of these people?
My husband of four days cut our honeymoon short and appears to be on a date with his childhood friend. And if the phone call I overheard is right, he’s probably having an affair with her and plans to end our marriage, leaving me wondering why he went through with it in the first place.
“Can I get an annulment?” I ask suddenly. “If he’s cheating.”
Sasha startles beside me, before saying, “I actually have no idea.” She brightens. “Luke is a lawyer. We could call him!”
“He hates it when you call him Luke.”
“And I hate him, but we all have our crosses to bear.”
I snort, and she smiles, even if it’s edged in sadness. “There she is.” She cuddles closer, saying, “This isn’t going to break you, Lily. But we could go break his kneecaps.”
I pat her thigh. “You’ve been reading too many dark romances.”
“No such thing,” she argues back. “But also, maybe.” She goes silent for a moment before asking, “Where does he think you are right now?”
I lean forward to swipe another chocolate out of the tray on the table.
“At the condo,” I tell her, shoving it into my mouth. “I told him I’d get everything set up for when he gets home.”
