Second (Betrothed 6)

“My turn.” Catalina darted into the tent, excited.

I didn’t stop her because I didn’t have the stamina. She was in such a hurry that she didn’t see the devastation on my face.

Hades let her go too and walked up to me. “Should we stop her?”

I shook my head. “I’ve never gotten her to listen to me her entire life. That’s not gonna change now.” My hands slid into my pockets, and I stared across the bazaar, the warm breeze moving over my cold skin.

“What did she say?” His hand moved to my shoulder, offering support.

“That only one woman will love me for me…and when I lose her…she’s gone. I can never get her back.”

He gave me a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry, man.”

“I said there has to be something I can do, but she said no. As long as she’s married, I have no chance.”

His hand slowly slid from my shoulder until he dropped it to his side. “As long as she’s married…”

I lifted my gaze to look at him.

“I think you just found a loophole.”

I stared at him in silence.

“As long as she’s married… What if she’s not married?”

“But she is, and she’s not going to leave him—”

“And what if he leaves her?”

“Not gonna happen.” Liam didn’t work his ass off to get her back just to throw her away. He might make mistakes, but he wasn’t going to walk away.

A slightly victorious look came into his eyes, as if he figured out the world’s toughest puzzle. “But we could make it happen.”

22

Annabella

Liam still trained every day to keep up his size and strength, but he didn’t mention fighting again. He seemed to really retire, and there was no resentment directed my way. It’d only been a week, so maybe that would change.

After my last conversation with Damien, I’d constantly felt sick. It was so painful to hear him tell me he loved me…and not be able to reciprocate with everything that I had. It was hard to believe we’d been apart for so long when these feelings were so rampant.

Why didn’t he love me when I could still love him?

Why did Liam have to betray me in the first place?

Why did I marry Liam when I should have just waited?

So many fucking mistakes…all over the place.

Liam asked me if something was wrong a few times, but I lied and said I was under the weather. I considered telling him the truth, but that didn’t seem necessary when I chose him in the end.

Now that Damien had told me he loved me, I wasn’t sure how we could be in the same room together. It was already difficult enough, but now with this…it was a nightmare. I didn’t ever want to be a cheater, so I would never consider an adulterous affair, but being around him was still hard…when I loved him in the way I should love my husband.

Liam sat across from me at dinner. “How was work?”

Sofia didn’t question me about Damien after I’d told her what happened. I’d picked Liam, so there was nothing else to say anyway. But the environment was still tense, because I feared Damien would show up for lunch with Hades…and I’d have to look into his beautiful eyes and see the way he loved me. “Fine. How was your workout?”

He stabbed his fork into his food and took a few bites. “Brutal, like always.”

I kept my eyes on my plate.

Liam continued to watch me. “I gave up fighting, but it still seems like you aren’t happy.” His tone dropped with his melancholy.

I closed my eyes when I felt responsible for his sadness. “It’s not you, Liam.”

“Then what is it?”

“I just…” I didn’t want to say the truth and start a war. “Just stuff at work… I don’t want to talk about it.” I lied to my husband and felt like shit for it.

“You don’t have to work. It doesn’t matter that I’m not in the ring anymore. We can afford it.”

“I know, but I like working.”

“You like working more than staying home with me all day?” he asked, taking a pause to chew. “I know you said you aren’t ready to start a family, but we could still practice.”

A smile broke through on my lips. “As nice as that sounds, I need more purpose in life.”

His eyes suddenly fell, as if those words meant something to him. “Yeah…I know what you mean.”

Sofia came into my office at the end of the day, her long coat stretching over her stomach and stressing the closed buttons. “We’re going to dinner. Would you like to come?”

I looked up from my desk and stared at her. “Who’s we?”

“My husband and I…and Damien.”

I didn’t want to keep doing the same thing over and over, spending time with Damien and suffering through the heat between us. Now that I knew how he felt, he dangled our possibilities in front of me, whether it was intentional or not. “I already have plans…but thank you.”