Page 93 of Malicious Wedding

“Tell her hello from me. Have a good day then!” She hangs up, probably already thinking of how she’ll spend a rare day off.

“We have room service,” Bernie says pushing a hotel-style cart into the room, her eyes glittering with excitement. “And it’s not bagels.”

She takes off the dome lid to reveal a luxurious breakfast. Waffles, pancakes, coffee, bacon and eggs, everything I could want. I pick out a croissant and take little bites as Bernie stuffs herself, mumbling something about stress eating between helpings.

We try to talk like nothing insane has happened, but it’s impossible to ignore the events of the night before. The near-killing, the corpse, the blood splattered across the wall in the shape of a human skull, the escape, and the strange facsimile of my apartment next door. It’s almost too much, but the whole time I hold my ring in my hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Bern?” I ask after downing enough coffee to make an elephant jittery. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Uh-oh.” She collapses onto a couch, one hand on her belly, the other behind her head. “What now?”

“He gave me the ring again.” I hold it up so she can see. “And I’ve been thinking I might put it back on.”

Her eyes widen. “Really?”

“He said something last night. He said… it’s my choice now. And it sounded like he meant it.”

“That’s… good. Right? That’s good? I’m honestly not sure with you anymore.”

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. “I’ve been so angry because he took away my agency. Like, I understand that he did all that stuff over the last ten years to help me, and my life’s been so much better because he was looking out the whole time, but I feel like I never had a say in anything, and he never seemed to care about that. Now though, it’s like… he understands.”

“He still built a creepy apartment shrine thing next door,” she points out.

“What, are you against me and him all of a sudden?”

She laughs, shaking her head. “No, honestly, I’m happy you’re saying all this. I think you should’ve forgiven him a while ago.”

“That’s the thing. I’m afraid it’s too late.”

“Ashlyn, if you want to be with your husband, then be with your husband.”

I shiver slightly, looking away. Wearestill married, but it’s odd to think of him as my husband. I look down at the ring, turning it over and over, before I slip it onto my finger.

Just like last night, it feels good.

“I should go talk to him.”

“Good luck.” Bernie grins at me. “I’ll be here, wallowing in my self-pity.”

“Want me to see if Jams and Keels can come over?”

“That’d be good, actually. Those two will distract me enough that I won’t have to think for a few hours.”

“God, they’re going tofreakwhen they see this place.” I get up, laughing to myself. “I’ll run it by my husband, but I think it’ll be fine.”

“You’re really doing this, huh?”

“I’m giving it a shot. I think I owe it to myself to try.”

“Good for you.” She cocks her head. “You know, this might be the only decision you’ve ever made all for yourself, without Carson getting involved at all. Funny how he’s still a part of it.”

“Don’t tell him that.” I leave her to digest before lingering in the hall.

Am I really doing this? For the last month, I’ve been trying to get Carson out of my head, but now he comes storming back into my life and I’m suddenly ready to forgive him?

All because he said the right thing and did it without prompting.

That bastard.

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