Page 277 of Falling for the Wife

The rest of the men then started to discuss the women I had dated in the past, wondering who I’d take as my companion on my travels. Little did they know that I was married, although I wasn’t ready to openly admit that. It was a temporary arrangement; subsequently, I didn’t see the need to broadcast it.

Zoning out of their conversation, I finished the half-filled wine glass just as something caught my attention through my peripheral vision. In the far corner of the restaurant was the cozier, “intimate” section, and there sat Ava. Sitting across from her was her newly divorced husband who was holding onto her outstretched hand on the table while both of his thumbs caressed her skin as they engaged in what appeared to be a very deep conversation.

The unforgettable feeling of my blood pressure spiking up rushed into my head and into my beating heart as if I was having a heart attack. My chest started to hurt like mad, yet I couldn’t tear my gaze off the intimate ex-couple.

We were barely past day one, and my wife was out seeing her ex-husband. Great, just bloody fucking great. Though Ava appeared to be calm, engrossed in the conversation, her body language didn’t seem overly eager to be near him. That was splendid; still, I wasn’t simply going to sit here and let the bastard have a chance at winning her back. I was done dealing with him, and I’d best get a move on if I wanted him gone and banished from our lives.

I muttered an excuse to call someone and strode towards their table as I flexed my hand, wondering what I was going to do next. Then, when I heard her infectious laugh, I almost lost it. Right there. In the middle of a restaurant during lunch rush.

Before reaching their table, Ava caught sight of me making my way towards them, and she immediately looked like a deer caught in the headlights before drastically pulling her hand away and hiding it underneath the table.

God, why does she look so guilty?I started to worry, but upon reaching them, Ashton’s dastardly attitude irked me the wrong way.

“Do you not see that you’re interrupting a private conversation, Chambers?” he snapped at me, infuriated.

I had a second or two to decide what to do. I could very well make a scene to prove a point, or I could walk out of there and figure this out later on. Better yet … yeah, the third option was much better.

Directing my gaze at Ava, I controlled the simmering jealousy that ricocheted through me. “You have three minutes to wrap this up. I’ll be waiting for you outside, lovely wife of mine.”

Unblinking, I didn’t pay a glance to either of them before I walked out the door, straightening my tie as I took out my car keys. Thank goodness I had driven today because I needed some time alone with Ava to discuss her lunch date. Taking my phone out, I texted Grant to tell the rest that I had to dash and take care of something rather important and will see them back at the office in an hour’s time.

Checking my watch, I noted the time as I kept glancing at the doors, waiting for her hasty exit. Two minutes had passed, and she wasn’t coming. The back of my neck became heated while my body tensed, debating what to do next if she didn’t come out as I had demanded.

Ten seconds past the three minutes, she breezily walked out the door, scouting for any sign of me. The instant she spotted me, she immediately looked away, her eyes downcast as she made her way towards me.

“Get in,” I said as I opened the door for her. Once she was inside, I closed it before rounding the car to get into the driver’s seat.

I didn’t glance towards her as she sat quietly, withdrawn. I started the engine, and it roared angrily, as if making it known how powerful it was. Driving a powerful sports car that could cruise up to four hundred kilometers an hour had its advantages when one was in a rush and trying to avoid traffic.

I wasn’t sure where I was heading, but I needed to drive swiftly until I could find the perfect spot to talk to her without being too far from the office. After all, I still had a meeting to attend to in an hour’s time.

Once I had found the perfect spot behind a private building, I parked in the alleyway that led to a small garden with enough trees to give us privacy. I took a loud breath before killing the engine as I stared at the dashboard.

“I’m going to say this once. I expect you to explain what I just witnessed in that restaurant.” My emotions were running amuck, and I couldn’t differentiate any of it, because I was too livid and too caught up with Ashton’s hands holding hers to think coherently.

When she didn’t immediately respond, I bit the bottom of my lip as I loosened my tie. I felt like the bloody thing was suffocating me, making it much harder to think.

“There’s really no point of being jealous, Reiss. Didn’t last night prove that?”

There is every point.

“You were letting him touch you! I could only be thankful that none of my associates knew you’re my wife, or else I would’ve been greatly humiliated by your thoughtless actions! Ashton knows that you married me, so you letting himtouchyou only gives him encouragement to keep trying to win you back. Is that what you want, Ava? Do you want to go back to him?”

“Are you trying to be rid of me?” A sob caught in her voice. “You use me, and the second you’re done, you couldn’t care less about what happens to me. Well, fine, I’m not going to stand in your way. I’ll be out of the house by the time you come home tonight.”

She was about to yank the door open when I pressed the lock button, far from done discussing this with her.

“Open the bloody door, Reiss!”

I wanted to throttle her and demand what the hell was going on in that pretty head of hers. I hadn’t expected her to say those things, and I was too caught off guard by her words to have a clue what to say next. I expected this conversation to be about what had happened at the restaurant and for us to agree we’d openly tell each other if we were about to dine with anyone in particular. Her irrational response wasn’t what I’d had in mind—far from it. She had gone off the rocket with that one.

“I swear, I am done with you! You used me. Last night, I gave you something I hadn’t thought of giving anyone, and I did all of that because I love you. But this blasted love is pointless, because you’re a heartless swine. All you care about is hurting me. Well, you’ve done a splendid job at making me weep, again.” She paused before reaching out to grip my face with her hand, nails digging into my skin as she scathingly studied my face. When I tried to look away, she let out a harsh sound. “Look at me, you coward! Take a bloody look at me!”

I reluctantly did before immediately feeling inept.

“I’m hurting … so please, open the door and let me go,” she begged, her eyes furiously shedding tears.

Without blinking, I felt her pain digging itself into my soul.

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