Page 32 of Papers Don't Lie

“Thank you, Kai. Really. I never thought someone would risk so much for a person whose life was planned years before she was born. I promise I’ll try and be a good wife to you, to repay you for the freedom you just gave me by sacrificing yourself. I don’t think I can thank you enough.” She fidgets in her place, her eyes getting lost somewhere in the distance as she bites down on her bottom lip.

“Don’t try to be a good wife for me. Do whatever you feel like doing, and that’s how you’re going to repay me, by living the freedom I offered you,” I say, meaning it. “We’ll figure out the rest together.”

Esmeray’s eyes glisten with tears, and just when I think she’ll shed them, she blinks twice, and it’s almost as if they were never there. A smile forms on her lips when she speaks. “Okay.”

SEVENTEEN

ESMERAY

I trace my palm over the white silky pajamas I’m wearing, sitting on the edge of the bed and not really knowing what I should do. Kai is in the shower, and as much as I want to lie down to stretch my limbs, I don’t know where he wants me to sleep. Does he want us to share the same bed? Or will we sleep in separate rooms?

Even if he said we’ll figure it out, at this moment, I don’t feel like we ever will. But it’s also my first night here as his wife, and I can’t cut the brakes the second the marriage between us starts. For some reason, he seems confident, and I don’t want to take that away from him because of my trust issues.

Surely, he earned a bit of my trust by sacrificing so much for me in such a short time, and yet I still don’t know this man. Not truly. I don’t know the reason behind his gesture, and having a good heart is clearly not enough.

My phone pings with a text on the nightstand, and I sigh when I see who the sender is.

Raven

Even though you hate me right now, I’m happy for you, Esme.

Hate is a powerful word.I don’t think I’m capable of hating anyone, especially not Raven. What she did… seems unforgivable right now, but I know that’ll change in the future. I just need some time before we talk. After all, I’m not married to Carter. I’malmostmarried to Kai Graves—a complete stranger who tied himself to me.

“You’re a loud thinker,” Kai says, taking me out of my thoughts.

I turn my head to him, surprised by the way he dries his hair with a towel. He’s dressed in dark blue pajamas, his brows furrowed as he glances down at me.

“Tell me.”

“What?" I raise a brow, not understanding what he’s talking about.

Kai throws the towel on his shoulder and sits down next to me, bumping my shoulder with his while his manly scent tingles my nostrils. “What’s on your mind?”

My eyes stumble upon his gorgeous face. His plump lips are parted open in the wait for my reply, and his green irises watch me expectantly.

A sigh escapes me. “My sister texted me.”

“And?”

I tilt my head to him, raising a brow. “Is this a questionnaire?”

“No,” he answers me with ease. “But you’re mine now, Ray. I need to know what’s upsetting you so I can fix it.”

I’mhisnow. And for some reason, the thought doesn’t make me want to crawl out of my skin like it did with Carter.

His.

“You can’t always save me, you know?” I smile, but it doesn’t break him. He’s as serious as ever.

His lips twitch, and his body turns stiff for a second before he returns to his previously relaxed state, almost as if my statement bothered him. Why would it?

“Maybe not,” Kai says, his tone turning harsher. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t try my hardest to do it.”

“Why?” I whisper.

“Because you’re my wife,” he replies, giving me a look that says the reply is obvious.

“Yes, I’m your wife now. This morning I wasn’t, so why?”

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