Page 44 of Never the Bride
“Oh.” My shoulders fall as another round of guilt fills my chest. “I didn’t realize she had completely broken things off with you. It’s because of the marriage, right?” It’s obviously because of the marriage. Talk about a giant red flag the size of Texas.
“She didn’t break up with me. I’m the one who ended things.”
“Really?” I do my best to keep my shock from showing, but I don’t think it’s working.
He lifts his shoulders. “What she did, ratting us out to your dad, didn’t sit right with me. I know I lied to her, or at least omitted some details, but to take that information, which was shared in private, and tell it to your dad just to get back at me, seemed malicious and cruel. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with a person like that, and if I know I’m not going to marry her, what’s the point of being in a relationship?”
“Yeah, that’s rough.” I blow out a breath, trying so hard not to get on my soapbox about the hazards of getting married.
Hess smiles as he watches me. “You’re secretly happy about our demise, aren’t you?”
“What? No.” I tuck strands of curls behind my ear. “Why would I be happy about that?”
“Because it further proves your case that two people shouldn’t pledge their lives together.”
I hold my hands up in defense. “I don’t care if two people want to spend their lives together. I just don’t think they need to legally bind the union under the guise of marriage. It just complicates everything and turns things into a mess.”
He smiles. “Like the mess we’re in?”
“Exactly like the mess we’re in. But listen, you dodged a bullet by not proposing to her.”
“Oh, really?” He seems amused more than offended.
“Yeah, Shanna is the type of woman who would want a giant diamond, which would be the first dead giveaway your marriage wouldn’t last.”
Okay, noteverycouple that gets a huge diamond ends in divorce. Usually, it’s the ones where they took out a loan or went into debt to get the obnoxiously big ring, and judging by Hess’s house, that doesn’t apply to him. But these are inconsequential details for the sake of making my point.
He shakes his head. “I don’t think you can make that kind of judgment from one piece of jewelry.”
“It’s true. Every couple that comes in to get divorced has three or four things in common. One, the wife has a huge ring. Two, they have an open account at a furniture store where one or both of them feel the need to have the newest and nicest things, even if they can’t afford them. Three, one or both of them have a gym membership. And four, the wife gets really into running marathons, almost out of nowhere, and spends all her free time training.”
“A gym membership?”
“That’s where they meet the person they end up having an affair with.”
His stare flattens, and he tilts his head, calling out my sweeping generalization.
“I’m not saying everyone with a gym membership is having an affair. But I am saying everyone whoishaving an affair has a gym membership.”
“Your blanket statements are dumb and probably not true for most marriages.”
“Common denominators every single time.” I shrug like I don’t understand it either.
There’s an eye roll before he shifts us back to the topic at hand. “Listen, I don’t care what you do, but I’m sick of lying to people about choices I made five and a half years ago. As far as I’m concerned, it’s out in the open now. We might as well own it.”
I shift my weight, not liking the stance he’s taking. “I would hardly say it’s out in the open.”
“You’re living with me. Shanna knows and will tell people. We’re going to marriage counseling together. It’s out there.”
I hate that Hess might be right. I can’t keep this secret from spreading like wildfire.
“Fine.” I jut out my chin. “But at least let me be the one to tell Selena.”
“She’s your sister.” He pushes off the counter. “Anyway, I’ll let you get settled. There’s some work I need to get done outside.” He swings his arms out. “This is your home now. Help yourself to whatever you need.”
I nod, and he walks off, leaving me standing alone in his immaculate kitchen.
That’s when I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath. “This is only temporary.”
