Page 14 of Vintage

"Looks like someone’s enjoying my attention a little too much," I sneered, even though my rage was boiling over, teasing her was like a fine wine that I couldn’t resist.

She scoffed, her cinnamon eyes twisting into something unrecognizable, something unsettling.

"Attention? What kind of attention?" Her voice dripped with defeat.

"You were letting some guy touch you, my wife… Mrs. Rowan. If that’s not begging for attention, then what the hell is it?" I hissed, leaning in closer, my eyes darkening as I bore into hers.

Suddenly, I was starving, and nothing would quench that hunger but her.

She shrugged, as if my fury was nothing more than a passing breeze.

Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks, and a single tear escaped, transforming me into one of those exquisite yet soulless creations of mine—beautiful on the outside but utterly devoid of life, emotion, and expression.

She was everything to me, yet I felt like I was staring into an empty void. It was maddening. I was hollow, a shell of a man.

Don’t cry, my love.

There was everything to her, but nothing to me.

"Listen, Ro," her voice trembling as she wiped away her tears with a fury that made my heart race. That weak smile? It was terrifying.

I swallowed hard, my nerves on fire. For the first time, she was a force I couldn’t predict, and it sent chills down my spine.

"Ro, our anniversary is in four days. You remember, right?" Her lips quivered, and I felt a muscle in my arm twitch, my hands itching to reach out, to comfort her, to erase whatever was gnawing at her.

I nodded, frozen in place, my body betraying me.

"After everything we've been through in these ten years, it all feels surreal. You were my first in so many ways—my first crush, my first kiss, my first everything. You were my rock, and I thought you were enough."

Fear gripped me. Me, Amir Rowan, scared? Unbelievable! I’ve faced life head-on, taken it all, but this weight inside me? It was suffocating, a disaster I couldn’t comprehend.

"Do you regret it, Mrs. Rowan?" I had to know. I stared into those captivating eyes, desperate for an answer. Did our shared history mean anything to her?

I cherished every moment with my wife!

Don’t ask that question. It doesn’t belong to us. I reminded myself but couldn’t stop.

"That’s the problem, Ro. I don’t regret it. I’m still in love with you, but I have my dignity. I see what’s happening, and I don’t need an explanation. You’ve fallen out of love with me, and I get it. Fuck, I respect it. Maybe this is just how it was meant to be... after all this time."

"Shut your mouth, Mrs. Rowan! Just for tonight, can we please fucking calm down?" I tried to get through to her, but she just shook her head like a stubborn child, refusing to hear a damn word I said.

"Just let’s get a divorce already!" She wrapped her arms around herself, sobbing like the world was ending, and it was driving me insane.

"AMERY!!" I bellowed, my voice echoing, nearly shattering my own eardrums.

She flinched, pressing herself against the cold metal, but I was done with this nonsense. There was no way in hell I was letting her slip away from me.

She belongs to me. Completely and utterly mine.

Ten damn years with this woman, pouring everything I had into us, and I was ready to keep giving every single second. But this? No way in hell was I accepting that.

"Ro-"

"Shut it, Mrs. Rowan! Get in the fucking Jeep right now. We’re going home, and I mean this very second." My voice was a weapon, sharp anddeadly, and I could feel the eyes of our friends and strangers boring into us at the back. This was not the time for a heart-to-heart in front of an audience.

She met my gaze, and after a moment, she nodded, albeit reluctantly.

I flung the door open for her and seated her inside. I sprinted to the driver’s seat, and for one last time, I shot a glare at Darius, his face twisted in anger.

---