Page 85 of The Wrong Husband
She hesitates, then nods. “I want to keep my place after we get married.”
Keep her place?That throws me. I blink. “You’ll be moving in with me though?”
“I will.” She looks away, then meets my eyes again. “I bought the house two years ago, with the money I earned as a junior doctor. It’s the first place that felt truly mine. I don’t want to give it up.”
So, she’ll live with me. Sleep beside me. Share my home. But keep a separate space…Just in case?I frown.
“You want to keep it… As… A backup?”
She shifts her weight, curling one foot behind the other. “I’ve been on my own since I was eighteen. Always had my own space. Always been independent. I can’t let go of that part of me overnight. Moving in with someone and not having a place of my own...feels wrong.
“We're getting married so quickly. That’s already a big change. Leaving home now would be to strip everything familiar from me, all at once.
“I’d like to keep my place until I adjust to my new life with you. I simply need to let go slowly, even as I jump into something exciting and new. It's not an escape but a way to transition without losing myself.”
She swallows.
“There have been occasions in the past when I've moved quickly and regretted it.”
Is she talking about an ex? Has to be. She hasn’t told me about him. But she will. With my actions, I’ll convince her to trust me enough to tell me all about him.
“I don’t want to make that mistake again. I need time to adjust to the transition.”
I stare at her. I shouldn’t be thrown off by this. It’s her strength, her independence that drew me to her in the first place. But still?—
Fuck, I want her to be mine. Entirely.
Not part-time. Not one foot in and the other out.
“I’m a possessive man, Fever.” My voice is low. “I want my wife in my bed every night. Under my roof. Wearing my ring, and knowing there’s no out. I want her to feel at home in my space because it’s hers too. I don’t like the idea of you having one foot outside the door, even symbolically.”
Her eyes search mine. “You’re saying, no?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m saying I don't like it—but I get it. You’re not asking for space. Just…a safety net. Something familiar while we build whatever this is.”
I draw in a sharp breath. What Ireallywant to say is that I hate it.
I hate that she’s already planning an exit strategy—even after saying yes to marrying me. That she’s still half-out the door while I’m already all the way in.
God, I want to tell her that once she moves in, she’s mine. That I won’t let her walk away. Ever.
But that would only make me come across as desperate and unreasonable, and it would put her on the defensive.
Better to agree to what she wants, because clearly, this is important to her. But once we’re married, I’ll convince her that she won’t need that place. That she’ll never want to go back.
Managing to keep my voice casual, I offer, “But if it offers you peace of mind, then keep it.”
The tension drains from her face. Her shoulders drop. The tightness between her brows smoothens out. So, this is what was weighing on her.
“However—” I lean forward, narrowing my gaze. “It does make me wonder if you’re unsure about moving in with me. Probably, because I haven’t shown you what your new home looks like.”
She blinks.
“What do you say we change that?”
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Phoenix
