“I’m so sorry.”
Benson kept his face turned away from her, like he didn’t want her to see the expression on his face. She gently took two fingers and turned his face toward hers. “It’s okay, Benson. I’m not going anywhere.”
“We both know that’s not true. When those three years are you, you’re out of here. Why wouldn’t you be? You’d have the money.”
“I didn’t marry you for the money.”
Benson scoffed. “I know. You did it for your career.”
“And I did it because I learned that you’re a decent guy who made a mistake and needed some help.”
“You did?” Benson asked.
“Yes. And I did it because I like you.”
“I’m glad. I like you too. I could have done a lot worse when it came to choosing a wife.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.” Tessa gazed out into the distance. From their view, they could see the waves crashing onto the shore far below. “Why did you keep it a secret that Megan left you at the altar?”
“Because it’s humiliating.”
“What happened between you two?”
“What do you mean?” Benson looked at her, and she could tell he was getting defensive.
“Why do you think she didn’t show up?”
“Are you assuming I did something wrong to cause her to no show?” Benson growled.
“I don’t know. Don’t get so mad. I’m just trying to understand.”
“You’re nosing around in things that shouldn’t be discussed,” Benson snapped.
“Yes. They should.”
“Well, maybe I’m not ready to discuss them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look. I don’t like talking about Megan.”
“Why not?”
“It’s in the past. There’s nothing I can do about it now. I choose to live my life and look forward to the future.”
“But what if the past is affecting your future because you haven’t addressed what happened?”
“You don’t know what I’ve addressed and what I haven’t.”
“I’m getting the impression that you haven’t addressed this, or it wouldn’t be so hard for you to talk about it.”
“Maybe I haven’t addressed it. Is that what you want to hear?”
“I just want to hear the truth. I want to understand what’s going on.”
“Why do you care? You’re just here for the career opportunity.”
“What if I told you that wasn’t true anymore?” Tessa said.