Page 46 of The Black Wife Blessing

Henry's face falls, and the pain I see there nearly breaks me. But I've been here before—caring so much for someone that I let them consume me. I won't make that mistake again, and I won't let Henry sacrifice his safety, his peace, for me.

"I'm not worth all this trouble," I whisper, the old insecurities Benjamin planted rising to the surface. "I never was."

I watch Henry's face change as I say the words. Instead of relief, I see something harden in his expression. His jaw tightens, and he shakes his head slowly.

"No," he says, standing up abruptly. The chair scrapes against the hospital floor. "No fucking way."

"Henry—" I try to reach for him, but he steps back.

"This is bullshit, Monica." His voice is intense, enough to make me flinch. "You think I'm just going to walk away because things got hard? Because that psychopath tried to hurt you?"

I blink rapidly, trying to clear the tears forming. "I'm trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection." He runs a hand through his hair, frustration radiating from him. "What I need is for you to stop pushing me away every time you get scared."

"Henry, please understand?—"

"The drugs are making you think irrationally," he cuts me off, gesturing toward my IV drip. "You've been through trauma. You're in shock. This isn't the time to make decisions about us."

My mouth falls open. "That's not fair. I'm thinking clearly?—"

"Are you?" He steps closer, leaning down until his face is inches from mine. "Because the Monica I know doesn't give up. She doesn't let assholes like Benjamin win."

"I'm not letting him win," I protest, my voice cracking. "I'm being realistic."

Henry straightens up, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'm not giving up on us. Not now. Not when I've finally found something real."

My heart hammers in my chest, the steady beep of the monitor betraying my reaction to his words. "Henry?—"

"I'll be back tomorrow when the medication wears off," he says, already moving toward the door. His jaw is set in that stubborn way I've come to recognize. "And we can talk about how we're going to fight this together. Because I'm not letting go of you that easily, Monica. Not a fucking chance."

Before I can respond, he's gone, the door clicking shut behind him with quiet finality. I stare at the empty space where he stood, stunned by his refusal to walk away. The antiseptic smell of the hospital room feels suddenly overwhelming as his absence hits me.

No one has ever fought to stay in my life before. Not like this. Not with this kind of raw determination that makes my chest ache with something dangerously close to hope.

But if staying with him means that Benjamin is going to keep targeting us, keep escalating his sick obsession with ruining what I have, then I need to make the hard decision. The right decision. Above all else, I want Henry safe—need him safe.

And I'm not sure we can achieve that if he remains my husband, fake or otherwise.

32

HENRY

Ipour another three fingers of whiskey, my hands shaking as I bring the glass to my lips. The burn doesn't even register anymore. All I can think about is Monica lying in that hospital bed, bruised and broken, telling me we should end things.

"You need to slow down." Leo's voice cuts through the fog in my brain, sharp and unwelcome.

"Fuck off." I drain the glass and reach for the bottle again, the amber liquid sloshing against the sides. "She wants out, Leo. After everything we've been through."

The penthouse feels too big, too empty. Too goddamn quiet. I can still smell her perfume on the throw pillows, that subtle vanilla scent that used to drive me crazy in all the right ways. Now it's just another reminder of what I'm losing.

Leo snatches the bottle before I can grab it, his reflexes still annoyingly quick. "That's enough, Henry. You're not helping anyone by drowning yourself in Macallan. Least of all Monica."

"Give it back." I lunge for the whiskey, but Leo steps away, holding it out of reach like we're fucking teenagers. My coordination is shot to hell anyway.

"Look at yourself. This isn't you. You're better than this."

I collapse back onto the couch, running my hands through my hair, tugging at the roots. "She thinks she's protecting me. Can you believe that shit? After Benjamin tried to fucking kill her, she's worried about me. About my reputation, my family, my goddamn business."

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