Page 37 of Marry Lies
I have to put a stop to this, because I can’t fall in love with my new wife.
It would only complicate everything.
“It won’t happen,” I tell my brothers as I sip my whiskey.
“And why not? What’s the worst case scenario? This starts as a fake marriage but turns into a real one?”
My head is spinning, and I set my glass down too roughly. “Just drop it.”
I walk away before they can poison me with more of their optimistic nonsense. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that people like Estelle Deveraux were wholly good. And people like me? And my family? I would only taint her. I coerced her into this—more than she knows. If things were to progress with us, I’d never know if my coercion was the reason.
And what I haven’t said to my brothers is that Ididgive her a chance once, and she took one look at my scars and rejected me. Sure, maybe she doesn’t feel the same way anymore now that she knows me a little better, but pity can seem a lot like interest. I’m good at deciphering the difference, unfortunately.
It’s easier to distance myself.
It’s easier to fuck around when and only when I needed to get off.
I’d already gotten used to the idea of being alone forever.
It wouldn’t be hard to continue down the solo path.
I need to put a stop to this. I had to drive a wedge between whatever it was that existed between us. If that meant turning off my charm and being the asshole everyone saw me as, then so be it.
The rest of the evening passes slowly. I hop from one person to the next, thanking them for coming. Luna went above and beyond, inviting many of my acquaintances and clients. She also invited a curated list of media outlets in hopes of getting the word out about our marriage. I roam around the castle thanking people for coming, hardly having time to eat the delicious food everyone else is eating.
I only catch glimpses of Estelle. Juliet hasn’t left her side.I should be the one by her side.Pushing the thought away, I suppose I should be grateful that Juliet has taken my new bride under her wing. By the time people begin to leave, Luna comes to find me.
“Miles,” she says, looking guilty. “Your father has promisedUS Weeklya front page exclusive,” she starts.
I glare down at her. “He knows how much I hate that particular editor,” I growl.
“I know. But—”
“It’s fine. We’ll do it. I presume they want a photoshoot?”
“Yes. Just the two of you around the castle. Thirty minutes, tops. We can do it now.”
I nod. I know Luna technically works for the estate—which means she works for my father, too. Because I reside here full-time, I sometimes forget that her allegiance lies with the family and not just me. Though I know if it came down to it, she’d take my side. Not just because I’m the one who found her and brought her on, but because we’ve grown close over the last ten years. She’s sort of become one of my only non-familial allies.
“I’ll go let Estelle know.”
The party is winding down, and as I walk from room to room in search of my newly appointed spouse, I say goodbye to people as they leave. After a few minutes, I find her on the patio overlooking all of Crestwood. It’s cold, and I instinctively take my coat off and place it around her shoulders. She tenses when she realizes it’s me.
“Hello,” she says softly. “Lovely party, don’t you think?”
She’s staring out at the city below. Her expression has that same tug of sadness that I saw last year by the fountain. Like the smile she usually wears is just a mask to hide the real turmoil. All of my earlier resoluteness about driving a wedge between us gets harder to come to terms with. A stray curl breaks free from behind her ear, and I resist the urge to tuck it away.
I can’t get close to her.
I have to keep that distance between us.
“Estelle…” I trail off, looking out over the city. “I think it was irresponsible of me to kiss you like that earlier.”
She turns to face me, and I’m surprised to see an angry glare settle across her expression. “And why do you say that?”
I shrug. “I got carried away. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Polite and to the point.
