Page 109 of Zimyra

“You’re welcome. Before you take a sip, let’s make a toast.”

“Okay.”

“To spending the rest of our lives together,” he says.

I force myself to smile and say, “To spending the rest of our lives together.”

We clank our flutes together and stare into each other’s eyes while we sip. It feels different looking into his eyes now that I know he’s deceiving me. But what’s the angle? Maybe I have it all wrong, but I probably don’t. There is no other viable explanation as to why his name would be on that business card and his photo on the company’s website. And he’s the freakin’ Chief Operating Officer? Really? The man who is second in command? Now, I understand how he can drive a new 2025 and take me to an all-inclusive resort. Why he never came across as a blue-collar worker. Why he possesses so much charisma and charm. Why he wears high-priced watches that cost more than my salary.

And I also understand why it rained on our wedding day. This wedding wasn’t supposed to happen.

I yawn and say, “It’s been a whirlwind of a weekend.”

My plan is to pretend I’m tired and just sleep until the morning so I can get out of here with as limited physical contact as possible.

I set the glass on the table and sit on his lap. I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes. That’s how our night ends – with me fake-falling asleep in his arms until I’m actually out.

CHAPTER 35

“I think I made a hugemistake,” I tell Capri as soon as she sits in our normal booth at Bad Daddy’s – front corner near the windows.

“What’s wrong?”

I hold up my left hand. Her eyes light up.

“Thatbetternot be what I think it is.”

“It is.”

“Myra, you’re engaged?”

“No. I’m married.”

“What!” she screeches, prompting a few guests to look over here at us. “Stop playing with me.”

“I’m not. I promise you I’m not.”

“Then what do you call it? You—you’re not married. You can’t be married! You weren’t even serious enough with anyone to get married? And who are you married to? Who? Axel?”

“Yes.”

“Axel?” she asks again, as if needing clarification.

“Yes. Axel. Look—I thought I was being spontaneous and not being so uptight. For the first time in my life, I removed the roadblocks. Isn’t that what you told me to do?”

“Yes, but I didn’t mean run off and marry the man!”

“Well, I also married him because I love him, Capri. Isn’t that why you’re marrying Dorian?”

“Yes, but we’ve been together for two years, Myra. You hardly know Axel.”

“And that’s why I started this conversation stating that I made a huge mistake.”

“Oh. Right. You did, didn’t you?” Her facial expression softens when she says, “Tell me what happened.”

“We were in Hilton Head this past weekend. I found this in his suitcase.”

I pull the business card from my pocket and put it on the table like I’m lying down a playing card. She picks it up, reads it over, and says, “Axel Jennings, Chief Operating Officer of Leverage Realty Group—wait. I don’t understand. I thought he was in maintenance.”

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