Page 70 of The Broken Vows

“I apologize, Zane,” she says, her arms falling to her side. “I’m not sure what I was thinking.” I can’t tell what she’s apologizing for, the bad investment call, or the way she just touched me. Perhaps it’s both.

She turns and takes a step away, but I grab her wrist and hold her in place. Celeste freezes and looks over her shoulder, her brow raised. “You can have it,” I tell her, the words escaping my lips before I’ve had a chance to truly think them through. “The hotel. If you want it, it’s yours.”

She blinks at me in confusion, but then the biggest smile transforms her face, and something akin to hope sparkles in her eyes. Fucking hell. I caved.Again. In this battle of wills, I’ll always lose, because it means seeing her smile like that.

“No,” she murmurs, her tone so fucking sweet. “It’s okay. You’re right, Zane. It’s not a good investment. We should get rid of it.”

I smile back at her, my heart beating faster than it did moments ago. She’s an addiction in the making, one I barely managed to kick the first time. Celeste is dangerous to me, but fuck, no matter how hard I fight, it’s a losing battle.

I let go of her wrist when my phone rings, a frown making its way onto my face as I pick it up. “Hello?”

“Zane,” Clara says. I look up at Celeste, whose gaze flickers with curiosity. “You owe me an apology.”

My eyes widen, and I grip my phone with both hands. “What happened?” I ask my mother-in-law, slightly panicked. “What did I do?”

“You’ve been married to my daughter for over two months, and you haven’t come to the Saturday cooking classes I’ve been inviting you to. If I hear one more weird excuse, I’ll come drag you over myself. Am I making myself clear?”

I clear my throat and sit up straight, angling away from Celeste. “I promise this is the first I’m hearing of this,” I explain, my tone eager to placate her. “I would never turn down a request to visit you. I’m really sorry this happened.”

Clara falls silent for a moment, and then she huffs. “Celeste,” she snaps. “She never told you, did she?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

Clara sighs. “Is she with you?”

“Yes.”

She chuckles, and I can’t help but smile back. “Very well. Let’s see what excuse she’ll give me this time then. My daughter is about to find out what happens when she lies to me. I expect you to be there on Saturday morning, and you’re spending the night. Understood?”

I chuckle and look out the window as I imagine the angry, motherly look on her face. I missed her. While Celeste and I dated, she was the closest thing to a mother I had, and though I’m reluctant to admit it, I’d hoped we could repair our relationship. “Understood,” I tell her. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

She ends the call, and Celeste stands rooted in place, her arms crossed. I take in my wife, noting the anger and insecurity in her gaze. This is why it could never work between us, because when we fell apart, we broke the solid foundation that made us who we were.

ChapterFifty-Seven

Celeste

“What’s wrong, honey?” Mom asks, her gaze searching. I shake my head and peel what has to be the hundredth potato. Mom’s working me much harder today than ever before, and with each potato I peel, I get more cranky.

“Yeah, you’re even more annoying than usual,” Archer says over video, standing in his own kitchen.

“Nothing’swrong,” I snap. I can’t stop wondering where Zane is, and who he was speaking to on the phone a few days ago. He sounded so sweet, so caring, and the way it made me feel was unprecedented. It wasn’t mere jealousy, it made me feel… like an intruder, I suppose. The genuine affection in his voice put me in my place more than anything else could have.

I’d felt pathetic, standing there, listening in on a conversation that wasn’t meant for my ears. Every day since, wild theories have occupied my mind. He keeps telling me that he never cheated, that he never would, when I already have evidence to the contrary. I knew he’d do it again, and I feel like I’m losing myself in a quest to figure out who it is this time. I’m scared to want him, scared I’ll miss the signs again, and it’s driving me crazy.

I pull myself together when the door opens and Dad walks in, his voice jovial. My finger slips when I spot Zane right behind him, carrying yet another sack of potatoes. I hiss in pain as the peeler presses against my skin, nicking me. A small drop of blood wells at the tip of my finger, and Zane drops the bag he was holding.

“For God’s sake, Celeste. Can’t you be more careful?” he snaps, before rushing up to me and taking my hand, his gaze concerned as he lifts my finger and sucks down on it.

I stare at him in shock. “What are you doing here?” I ask, my tone aggrieved.

He raises a brow and pulls my finger away to look at it, pleased that the bleeding stopped. “When my mother-in-law demands I come visit, I obey. Unlike you, I have a healthy amount of self-preservation skills.”

Guilt crashes through me, followed quickly by understanding, and then relief. He smiles at me knowingly, and I glare at him in return. He knew, didn’t he? He knew I’d be jealous. Zane leans in, his lips brushing against my ear. “You’d better think twice before you get me in trouble with your mother again,” he warns, before grazing my ear with his teeth, his touch punishing.

“Hey!” Archer shouts. “Step the fuck away from my sister, asshole. Don’t do that shit in my house.”

Zane pulls away and reaches over to press the mute button, making Mom laugh. “Zane,” she admonishes. “Unmute your brother-in-law, will you?” Her hand wraps around his arm, an indulgent look in her eyes.

---