Page 157 of Lovers' Dance: Vol. 2

“Of course,” I said anxiously, my eyes were wide as he reached for a folder propped on the mantle. I hadn’t noticed it before. “What’s wrong? You’re kind of freaking me out here.”

“You love me.” Matt repeated, his expression visibly hardened as he held the folder out to me.

“Yes.” It was obvious he wanted me to take the folder, so I did. What in the hell was wrong with him? I clutched the folder, my gaze scoured his features for some indication of what was going through his head. I got nothing. The impenetrable mask he wore mirrored the stark emptiness in his eyes. Matt gestured to the folder in my hands. Not knowing what to expect, I opened it. The fuck?

“W-wha-what isthis?” I stammered in disbelief, staring at…what the fuck was this?

“So,” Matt drawled coldly. “If you love me, why were you in bed with another man?” His voice got louder, much louder. “Why did you fuck another man?”

I was startled, by his raised voice, by his coarse language which herarely used in anger with me, but most of all by the glossy photograph ofmeunder some sheets in bed with a naked man!

“Matt,” My voice was loud too. “What is this? I- this is a joke, right? Right?” There were more pictures. Mouth parting in horror I looked through them all before raising incredulous eyes at my husband. “This is a joke.”

“Do I look amused, Madison?” Matt asked. He most definitely didn’t look amused.

A short bark of hysterical laughter left my lips. “Matt, this is obviously a joke. Where did you get this from? These pictures are fake. Where on earth did you get this?”

Matt stalked towards me and Christ have mercy, I instinctively stumbled backwards. The fury on his face made my blood run cold. Hemustrealize these photos were fake. How could they be anything but fake?

“The thought had initially crossed my mind,” Matt confirmed as he paced my retreating steps. “Of courseI believed they were fake. Why would I think anything else? You would never cheat on me. Right,poppet?”

Oh God. Why was he acting like this? He had to know I would never be unfaithful to him. He knew me, and he should damn well know these pictures were fake. Someone had photo-shopped me. Some weirdo, I don’t know how or why, but I had no idea how these pictures came to be.

The back of my legs bumped into the glass coffee table. “I would never cheat on you. You have to know that.”

The smile he gave me was not a nice one, it was downright nasty and caused my mouth to tremble. What was happening? I glanced at the pictures in my hands; confused, scared and needing my husband to tell me everything would be ok. I returned my gaze to Matt’s face. Oh God. He couldn’t think these photos were-

“Technology is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?” Matt stopped following me. “I don’t profess to be an expert, but I employ people who are.” Matt’s well-defined eyebrows were at ‘cataclysmic end of the world’ level. He glared at me. “People who know how to check metadata and things like error level analysis, very thoroughly.”

I laughed again. Yes, another hysterical cackle. Who knew I laughed like a hyena when nervous? When Matt’s eyes went from grey to chrome silver I swallowed my nervous laughter and tried tomake him see sense.

“Matthew, come on. Some pervert is messing with us. I would never let anyone touch me. You are theonlyman to ever touch me-”

“McGregor.” he spat out. “You let him touch you. Who’s to say you haven’t engaged in other acts with different men?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I was getting angry now. This whole situation was farcical. Matt had a problem with his jealousy, a major problem where it concerned me; but his behaviour was now bordering on crazy. “I didn’tletDougie touch me and you know this.”

“Words,” Matt ran a hand through his dishevelled hair. “Just words.” He spared a look at the pictures in my hands. “But a picture is worth a thousand of them. What was it? Were you drunk? Did I not spend enough time with you? Did I not satisfy you, Madison? Did he fuck you good? Better than I did?”

I blinked slowly, the pictures slipped out my numb fingers, falling to the floor in an obscene splash of colour. The undeniable fact Matt’s language continued in this harsh line spoke volumes. “Ok, you need to calm down and listen to me. These photos are fake. I have never cheated on you. I love you, only you.”

A glimmer of hope surfaced in his eyes, but then he looked at the pictures on the floor and that glimmer disappeared.

“Matt,” I whispered, shaking both internally and externally. “You can’t believe I would ever do that. You know me, knight.”

He turned away, heading back to the fireplace, giving me his back. He still wore his work shirt and tailored trousers, the jacket and tie were nowhere in sight and the sleeves of his shirt were folded up to mid-arm.

“I know things have been strained between us not too long ago,” he replied quietly. “I admit to putting some distance between us, before and after the McGregor incident,” Matt turned around, face taut with tension like his whole masculine body. “Did I cause this? Did I push you away?”

“Matt, hon,”

“God.” he exclaimed, hands rising up to vigorously rub his face before he gave me the coldest look I’d ever seen upon his face. “What do you expect me to think, Madison?”

“I expect you to believe me.” I said quietly. How could he even think those vile pictures were the truth?

“If I didn’t know any better,” he replied without emotion. “I could almost believe you. Almost. I won’t allow you to make a fool of me and I certainly won’t tolerate a marriage like my parents.”

In that moment I knew, I knew he had already made up his mind about the whole thing. It was the way he held himself, the way he looked at me, the way his face twisted between pain, jealousy and finally pure anger. Matt didn’t do things by halves, he was an all or nothing man, and the one unyielding characteristic about him that I feared the most was his unforgiving streak. No one crossed Matthew Bradley and escaped unscathed. I had to make him see sense.

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