Page 55 of They Are Mine

She leans closer. “I do everything to make you happy,” she murmurs.

And that’s when it happens.

The moment I realize she means it.

She’s not cheating.

She’s not pulling away.

She’s expanding.

She’s inviting me into something bigger.

She loves me.

And now?

She wants me to love him, too.

I rake a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly, trying to piece this together.

Juliet watches me, eyes sharp, expectant, like she’s waiting for me to catch up.

Like this should be so easy to understand.

She leans forward, placing her hands flat on the table, her voice soft but sure.

“It’s not so hard to understand. They have TV shows about it. A bunch of wives who help each other so the man they love, the man who works so hard to make their life perfect, has all the love he needs.”

Her fingers trace small circles against the tablecloth, measured, precise.

She tilts her head, watching me carefully, her lips curving just slightly. “They’re friends. You would have a buddy. Someone with the same goal, loving me like I deserve.”

A buddy?

A buddy who fucks my girl?

My chest tightens. I drag my palm over my face, blow out a breath, try to process.

I mean, yeah, Juliet is more woman than I ever thought I deserved. But this?

Sharing?

I open my mouth, hesitate. “Juliet.”

Her expression flashes, quick frustration, then something sharper. “Fuck, Noah.” She sits back, arms crossing over her chest, her eyes burning into me now.

I think that’s the first time she’s ever cussed.

“Do you even realize the lengths I have gone to, to make shit perfect for you? Are you really going to sit here and tell me I don’t deserve that kind of devotion from you?” Her voice is sharp, but not pleading.

She’s not asking me.

She’s telling me.

Because in her mind, this is already decided.

I swallow hard, my throat dry. “You never said who he was,” I manage.

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