Page 86 of The Wrong Husband

We reached Pier 14 and strolled onto the long, narrow walkway. The fog was thicker here, enveloping us in a bubble of quiet. The bay’s dark water lapped gently against the pier, and for a moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the world.

“Trust is a two-way street, Damian,” I said finally. “How can I believe in you when you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth?”

He looked down, kicking at a loose pebble. “I trust you implicitly. Do you know why? Because you have no agenda. You speak from your heart and mind. I also know you well. You reacted just as I expected—you saw the way we got married as a judgment on you, but it wasn’t. It was on me. I was a prick."

"I thought you found me attractive."

"Did you really think that?" he challenged me.

"Yes," I admitted.

"Maybe you did for a second; but Em, you then convinced yourself that I married you because I was drunk," he contended, "We had amazing sex. You came three times. If I was that far gone, how do you think I managed to get it up?"

"The truth is, Damian, I couldn't understand why you married me," I confessed sheepishly. "It makes sense now. It was revenge and—"

"Why did I move in with you?"

I looked at him thoughtfully. I had plenty of narratives in my head but none of them made sense. "I don't know."

"Because I love you. And you know why you were so hurt when I left you right after we got married?"

I shook my head. But I knew and I knew he knew.

"Because you love me." He kissed my lips.

I pulled away. He wasn’t getting away that easily. Asshole.

"You just like how hot the sex is. What happens when that wears off?"

He laughed now. "Christ, Em, you cook up all kinds of scenarios in your head so you can continue to believe you aren't anything special. We have fucking amazing chemistry. I've had that with no one, and I've fucked a few women in my life."

I punched him on his shoulder. "We aren't talking about the legions of women you've had sex with."

"Bianca slept with another man and I wanted revenge. You sleep with another man, hell, you kiss another man and I'll fucking kill him and lock you up."

A thrill ran through me. "Maybe you think all this over the top 'I'm Tarzan, You're Jane' nonsense is sexy, but it isn't. You sound like a jealous sociopath."

"Why can't I be both sexy and a sociopath?" he joked.

I looked at him then and saw nothing but sincerity on his face. I understood what he was trying to say, and I desperately wanted to believe him; but it was hard. I was afraid. Fear was potent. It made you do stupid things like…lie to your wife about why you married her?

"Repeat after me," I said on impulse, "From this day forth…"

"From this day forth…"

"I will never ever lie to Emilia no matter how ugly the truth is."

He repeated what I said.

"So?" He cupped my cheek. "Baby, put me out of my misery?"

"I’m not like Bianca,” I said, stepping closer to him. “I’m Emilia. I don't lie or play games. I don't even have a filter most of the time. I want to be your partner, not someone you feel you need to protect from life.”

“I want to be better,” Damian said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I want to be someone you believe in, someone you rely on.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision before me. “I'm going to say the wrong thing at the wrong time and be socially awkward. I'm not going to dress like an Archer."

"And how do you think an Archer dresses?"