She lifted the bottle and refilled it.
The lights were low, and the street outside was dark. We were the only people out at this time of night. Everyone else went home, either with a lover or alone. My fingers wrapped around the glass, and I studied the resistance in her eyes. There wasn’t a hint of who she used to be. She used to be my closest friend… Now she hated me. “You’re right. I can’t accept love from anyone. I don’t know why… I guess it happened after my mother died. My father has been a hard-ass ever since, and now I’ve developed some kind of complex.”
Instead of unleashing a smartass comment, she just listened.
This was the only chance I would ever get with her, so I wouldn’t squander it. “I’ve never felt good enough for him…so I don’t feel good enough for anyone.”
“Your father is an asshole, Maverick. Don’t let his opinion of you determine your own worth.”
“I know, but it just happened.” I brought the glass to my lips and took a drink. After I licked the drops away, I kept talking. “We both agreed this would be a marriage of convenience. You needed something, and I needed something. I never expected it to turn into this…” I lowered my gaze. “I’ve been with a lot of women, and not a single one has meant anything to me. Then I met you…and I started to care about you. Coming from a heartless man like me, that’s pretty impressive.”
She pulled the glass from my hands and took a drink.
“I knew things were different between us before the party. I could feel it… I knew it was happening. Instead of picking up a woman at the bar, I preferred to stay home with you. You stayed in my bed every night, and I liked it. It felt right. But I wasn’t ready for what you put on me…”
She opened her mouth to argue, but then she controlled herself and made her mouth shut again.
“It was a fucked-up thing to do, and I admit that. You told me how you felt, and I was a dick about it. I guess I panicked. I’ve never wanted to get married, and then I found myself married…really married. I didn’t want that. So, I reverted back to what I used to do…”
Her eyes shifted down, like the mention of my betrayal still hurt her.
“I shouldn’t have done that, Arwen. Not that it matters…but I didn’t even enjoy it. I thought of you the entire time.”
She grabbed my glass again. “So romantic…” She brought the glass to her lips and took a drink. When she set it down, she wiped her mouth with the back of her forearm.
“If it matters…I haven’t been with anyone since you left.” I’d been alone in that bed every night, regretting the stupid decision I’d made. Every time I walked into a room with my wife on my arm, I knew I had the most beautiful woman in the room. But I threw that all away when my emotions got to me.
“No. It doesn’t matter.”
She’d been sleeping around—and that was a nightmare that kept me up all night long. Knowing another man enjoyed her the way I used to made me sick to my stomach. I knew exactly how she felt when she saw me with those two girls. It fucking hurt. “I have an offer for you.”
“I doubt there’s anything you can entice me with.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the black wedding ring I’d only worn once. I’d slipped it onto my finger at the ceremony, but at the end of the night, it fell into my drawer next to my stash of condoms. I held it with the tips of my fingers so she could see it under the dim light.
She stared at it, not breathing for a moment.
I slid it over my knuckle and onto my finger. It fit just as snugly as the first time I’d put it on. “My father still might try to hurt you. He doesn’t drop his vendettas easily. You’re living paycheck to paycheck and working two jobs to make rent. You still need me.”
“I’d rather stand on my own two feet than rely on someone.”
I rose to my feet then rested my hand on top of hers.
She stilled noticeably when she felt my touch, and unlike last time, she didn’t pull away.
“Let’s try this again. But this time…let’s do it right.”
Her eyes filled with a storm of emotions. She was equally angry and touched. Her fingers shook slightly against mine, but she didn’t pull away.
“I promise to be faithful to you, to care for you, and to be your lawfully wedded husband.” I repeated my old vows back to her. “We’ll take things slow, but this won’t be a sham anymore. This is real—from this day forward. I want to try this again…if you’ll give me another chance.” My fingers gripped hers a little tighter as I waited for the answer I wanted. Now that I was on the precipice of getting her back, I realized how much I wanted it. I wanted to take her home and never let her go again.