Page 132 of The Husband Game

“Uhh. Did he tell you that?”

“No.” Dustin sighed. “I figured it out. I was starting to put the pieces together and the other night I watched … well, I watched him hide some food to make it look like he’d eaten.”

Dustin closed his eyes for a moment. Was that his fault? Had him pushing Charlie to finish made him feel like he had to do that? Had he done it to please Dustin?

Jamie let out a sigh. “Shit. That’s not good.”

“I know it’s not. What do I do, Jamie?”

“I don’t know. How … how bad is it? How worried are you?”

“I’m concerned,” Dustin said slowly. “I mean, when he first got here, I noticed he wasn’t eating a ton and that sent up some red flags. But he seemed to relax. He was eating more, helping me prep food. He seemed happy and like things were going well.”

“That’s pretty much what he told Taylor.”

“But lately … I don’t know. He’s been working out more. Eating less. Him hiding food freaked me out,” Dustin admitted. “I mean, he has the therapist so that makes me feel better but … he hasn’t mentioned anything to Taylor about things getting bad, has he?”

“No. Or, at least, not that Taylor’s told me about. I wonder what triggered this. It sounded like you and Charlie were getting along well.”

“We were. We are. Honestly, things have been good between us.” He sighed and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Do you think it maybe has something to do with his family? A few weeks ago his mom sent me a friend request and Charlie kinda freaked out.”

“Fuck, I hate that woman,” Jamie snarled.

“Charlie didn’t say much,” Dustin admitted, a little surprised by Jamie’s tone. “Just that his parents were toxic and he cut them out of his life.”

“I think it’s great he talked to you about his family at all. He can be very closed off.”

“Tell me about it. But what can I do to help?”

Dustin had spent the past two days frantically researching everything he could about how to be a supportive partner to someone with an eating disorder.

“Dustin,” Jamie said slowly. “I know you’re kind of the ‘fix shit for the team, guy’ but I am not sure that works in this situation. I think you need to let Charlie handle it and be there for him.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do since I figured out what was going on. I … it’s harder than I thought it would be.”

Dammit. It went against every instinct Dustin had but all of the research he’d done backed up exactly what Jamie had said.

“As long as he’s still going to his therapy appointments, I think you have to give him a little space and let him come to you about the anorexia.”

“I hate that but … I know you’re right.”

Jamie was silent for a moment. “This isn’t a fake marriage anymore, is it?”

Dustin cracked his knuckles. “It’s … uh. I think it still is for Charlie.”

“And for you?”

“No,” he said quietly. “I don’t think it is. I’m not sure it ever was for me.”

Jamie sucked in a deep breath. “I was afraid of that.”

“Aww thanks, buddy. I had no idea you cared. I thought you were worried about me hurting Charlie, not the other way around,” he joked, although there was nothing funny about that idea.

“I was, at first. And of course I’m still concerned but I’m starting to think maybe you’re the one who’s going to have a broken heart at the end of this.”

Dustin winced. “I might.”

He’d never had his heart broken before. He’d always been the one ending relationships, bailing when it got tedious, when the other person wanted more.

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