Page 99 of The Trouble With Her (The Forbidden Love 4)

I swallow the lump inside my throat, wishing the sharp pain tearing through me to disappear for fear of it controlling my anger once again. It refuses to leave, and it pains me even to sit here any longer. I need to go before I say something I’ll regret.

“I should go,” I mutter.

Jessa places her hand on my arm, the touch so warm and inviting, which I try to resist for my sanity right now. I don’t move, not even a single flinch.

“Andy, please look at me,” she begs.

With a heavy sigh, I turn to face her, only to see the sadness in her eyes.

“I can’t imagine my life without you, but I also don’t know how to walk away without hurting my son. This won’t happen overnight but promise me, please, you’ll be patient with me. Once I’m back in England, I’m on my own. Trying to leave my husband and take care of my son will take its toll on me, so please, just understand you’re the only one I want to be with.”

I stare into Jessa’s eyes as she pleads for me to trust her.

We have no plan or commitment besides the words spoken between us.

It all boils down to trust and the strength I’m forced to endure living in another country while she’s in bed with her husband every night.

There’s only one answer—I have to trust her no matter what because without the trust, there’ll be no happy ending.

And without her, I don’t know how to breathe or even exist.

Twenty-Two

Jessa

Saying goodbye to my family was always going to be difficult.

But saying goodbye to Andy—much harder.

Last night, our fight became more than a lovers’ quarrel. The moment I entered the car, his posture was stiff, and he couldn’t even look at me. I didn’t understand what had changed since we said goodbye at Disneyland. We’d had so much fun along with Bentley taking his first steps. The act alone nearly had me in tears, my baby growing up way too fast.

There was our naughty moment on Space Mountain, Andy daring me because that’s what he’s always done—pushed me to live as if tomorrow doesn’t exist.

Then, he threw the question hovering over our relationship. I wanted to be honest with him, but his anger only started a chain reaction from me. He isn’t the one who has to face her husband after breaking the sanctity of marriage.

Nor is he the one to tell her husband she’s unhappy and wants to leave him.

There are so many complications, and even though I chose to keep my marriage troubles private from Dad and Kate, I knew they suspected something was wrong.

Kate organized a last-minute breakfast at a restaurant in Calabasas. Everyone came to say farewell, and it gave me a proper chance to thank Millie and Ava for planning a memorable first birthday for Bentley.

Andy sits at the other end of the table, keeping his distance. Luna doesn’t show up, not even a text to say goodbye. Julian and Adriana are here, sitting beside my parents.

I try to talk to Andy a few times, but someone else always has his attention. Nash is relentless with his pursuit to hook up with women, voicing his excitement over a trip to Spain he’s planning. I can see Dad is less than impressed, but he doesn’t say a word when it comes to Nash.

Kate is beside me as Aunt Charlie takes Bentley for a walk.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

I nod. “Yeah, just sad.”

“I know, honey. It’s never easy saying goodbye.”

“No, especially with a family as large as ours,” I tell her honestly.

Kate rubs my back, then places her arm around me. “In the end, Jessa, this will all work out. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”

“We’re not talking about you guys now, are we?”

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