Page 132 of Sincerely, Your Inconvenient Wife

Elena folded her arms, raised a brow, and waited for me to continue, so I did.

“We fell in love. It wasn’t on purpose, but it happened, and it was beautiful, El. Being with Luca is as easy as breathing. Most of the time, I forgot about our arrangement. He was just mine, and I was his. But then Clara—that’s his sister—had a crisis in her marriage. Her husband turned out to be this despicable human, and Luca has had to hold the weight of his family while everything fell apart.”

A full beer was placed in front of me. With grateful hands, I picked it up and took a long pull. Elena swung her crossed leg and waited for me to continue.

“He came home last night, and I could tell he wasn’t himself. He found out I still had some things at my apartment, plus I wasn’t wearing my rings, and he accused me of having one foot out the door. He was so mad he wouldn’t listen to anything I said. Then he told me he loved me for the first time. I love him too. How could I not? I’ve never loved a man the way I do him. But then…he demanded to make our marriage real. He wanted me to say yes right then and there,knowinghow I feel about marriage. And I couldn’t, Elena. Of course I couldn’t.”

My head fell into my hands, too heavy to hold upright. “Then Clara got into a car accident, so Luca had to rush to the hospital. He wouldn’t let me come, but I followed him anyway. And he—”

My throat was too tight to get the words out. Elena laid her hand on mine, giving it a firm squeeze. My sister-in-law wasn’t the most demonstrative person. If I was getting a handhold, I must have truly looked miserable.

“He told me he didn’t want me. He told me to go.”

I ached. Dear god, did I ache. What was I supposed to do? I never should have agreed to any of this. How could I go back to Denver, share Sunday brunch with my friends, and face Luca again and again? I already knew I wouldn’t be able to. Time wouldn’t be enough.

I would never get over him.

How could I? He’d loved me so well. No other man would ever be able to touch the place inside me he’d carved for himself. It would be empty without his claim on it.

“Is that it?” Elena dug around in her purse and withdrew a plastic tube I recognized all too well.

I held my hand out, and she shook a cannabis gummy into my palm, then tossed the tube back in her bag.

“What do you mean, is that it?” I almost shrieked. Hadn’t she been listening? “I just told you I’m heartbroken.”

“But why? I don’t understand the problem. Your husband wants to be married to you. You’re already married. Nothing has to change.”

Maybe I’d had too many beers. She was confusing me. “But…it was an arrangement. It wasn’t real.”

Shaking her head, she chuffed. “Were you committed to each other?”

I nodded.

“And you already said you’re in love.”

I nodded again, slowly chewing on my gummy.

“You adopted a cat together.”

“Clementine.” I missed her, and it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours. Thankfully, the doorman had texted me pictures of her when he checked on her.

Elena leaned in. “The sex is…good?”

“Good doesn’t even come close to describing it.”

Her lips curved. “You met each other’s families.”

“Yes, but it was part of the agreement—”

She flicked her fingers, dismissing me. “I’m assuming this marriage is legal, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then what’s the problem? You’re married to a man who fucks you right, loves you and your cat, is good to you, rich as God, hot as hell…I don’t get it.”

How had Elena managed to twist my mind around so thoroughly that I was beginning to not understand my own problems? Was she a witch?

Maybe it was the weed…and beer.

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