Second (Betrothed 6)

I pulled a blanket over my lap. It was the first time I didn’t feel anything for Damien. That undeniable heat wasn’t there anymore. Explosive chemistry, desperate need, they were all gone. All my feelings were masked by rage.

After a few minutes, he turned back to me. “You want to order a pizza or something?”

“I’m not hungry. And you don’t need to stay with me, Damien… I’m fine.”

“Really?” he asked, calling out my lie. “I can see the rivers of tears on your cheeks, see the redness in your eyes.”

I looked away.

“It’s okay not to be fine.”

I looked out the large floor-to-ceiling windows and stared at the bright city beyond.

He scooted closer to me on the couch, his arm sliding around the back of my neck. He turned to me as his hand cupped the back of my head and brought my face close to his. He examined me for a while, reading the pain in my eyes like words on a page. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” I whispered. “You warned me about him. This is your time to say you were right. Go ahead, say it.”

He didn’t stoop to that level. He continued to stare at me with the same concern. “I didn’t want to be right, Annabella.”

“I don’t believe that…”

“I really didn’t. I wanted him to be what you deserved.”

I couldn’t look at those beautiful eyes anymore. I turned away, feeling the pain in the pit of my stomach. “I feel stupid…so fucking stupid.” Tears burned all the way in my gut and coated my throat. I’d been crying on and off for so many days that they blurred together. Liam had hurt me this way once, so I didn’t think he could hurt me again…but he did. “How hard is it not to sleep with someone else?”

“It isn’t.”

“Well, Liam would disagree with you…”

“He’s impulsive and disloyal. The second things go to shit, he jumps ship. But if he’s the captain of that ship, he should go down with the crew and the boat. That’s not him. You, on the other hand, have the kind of integrity that the mafia pays a fortune to possess. You have the loyalty of the mob, of a gangster, or a drug lord.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Damn right, it is. And it’s the biggest compliment you’ll ever get.” His fingers gently moved into my hair, lightly touching me as he looked into my eyes. His cologne was heavy in my nostrils, and his clean-shaven jawline looked so kissable. “What happens now?”

I pulled my gaze away. “I told him we’re done.”

He didn’t hide his approval. “Good.”

“I grabbed a few things and left. But I’ll go back and get my stuff in a few days. I need to find a place to live…again.”

“You could always stay with me.”

I refused to look at him. “Damien, I’m not in a good place—”

“That’s not what I meant. If you need a place to stay, I’ve got something like twenty bedrooms in that house. That’s all I meant.”

I could rent my old apartment, but it wasn’t very nice. I’d saved most of my checks since I’d married Liam, so I could afford a nicer place, especially now that I was keeping my position at the hotel.

His fingers gently caressed me. “You better take half of his money this time.”

Liam had cheated on me twice now, and I was entitled to every single euro of his net worth, but I still didn’t want it. “He earned all that money. I never contributed, so I don’t want it.”

“That’s not how it works—”

“I don’t want his money. If I buy a house with it, I’ll think of him. If I buy a car, I’ll think of him. My old apartment sucked, but at least it was mine…”

His fingers dragged down to my neck as he abandoned his argument.

“I can’t believe he wasn’t going to tell me…just keep it from me.”

“I was surprised too.”

“I guess he feels entitled because of what I did, but our mistakes aren’t equal.”

“Not at all,” he whispered. “I understand he was upset, but…that didn’t make his behavior okay.”

I still didn’t ask for the specifics of what he saw because it would hurt me. I knew there were multiple women, and that disgusted me. What if Damien had never found out, and I’d continued to sleep with my husband after he’d been with others? What if I’d caught something? Had to tell every partner I ever had after him that I had herpes?

I hated him so much right now.

“I can get you a good divorce lawyer.”

“I’ll probably use the guy I used last time…” I was going to be divorced twice, and I was in my twenties… So pathetic.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

I stared at the carpet while the TV played in the background. I was a free woman who could do whatever she wanted now, but I had no urge to destroy those crisp sheets with our sweaty bodies. I was broken…deep down inside. “Thanks for coming by. I think I’m going to get some sleep…” I moved from his side on the couch and rose to my feet. My fingers ran through my messy hair, and I glanced out the large window.