Page 8 of The Ring Thief
I work for a small start-up company as the human relations manager, and almost every single colleague made it to the wedding. The idea of going back to work now and facing everyone is nearly enough to have the nausea winning out.
“That worked out well.” He puts both hands on my shoulders, gently turning me in the direction of the bedroom. He pats me softly on the ass.
“On you get, then,” he chuckles. “We wouldn’t want them to take off withoutus.”
The flight is quiet, the private jet empty except for us and one flight attendant. Almost as soon as we’re in our seats, Declan pulls his laptop out, his fingers flying across the keyboard and a frown of concentration on his face.
After requesting a blanket from the flight attendant, I curl my legs up under me, falling asleep to the sound of tapping keys and his frustrated noises.
Declan shakes me awake sometime later and, in that fuzzy state between sleep and waking, I forget. For a heartbeat, everything feels right in the world, and I smile gently up at him.
“Am I gonna have to get used to you shaking me now?”
He smiles back, his eyes warm, and that’s the moment everything comes crashing back in. “I’ll find a nicer way to wake you up,” he promises, leaning forward and pressing a soft, swift kiss to my mouth. “We’re just about to land.”
Reality sneaks back in, slow and insidious, and I resist the urge to wipe him off my lips. I look away, straightening in my seat and patting my hair down.
My mental state feels like it’s been hastily glued together, still precarious but mostly functional, and I’m grateful for it, knowing there are still a few more mines to avoid before I get away from this.
“Have you told your father we’re coming back early?” Declan asks casually, and I hate the way I over-analyze every syllable, trying to find the hidden meaning behind his words.
“No,” I say. “I thought I’d surprise him for dinner.”
He shoots me a wide-eyed look. “Oh?”
I raise my eyebrows, aiming for innocently demure. “Well, I thought you’d be busy with your emergency. Plus, it’d be nice to catch up with him. I feel like with the wedding and all, I’ve barely seen him.”
He rubs his thumb over his bottom lip, eyes careful. “Makes sense. I might have this all sorted in time to?—”
“No, honey,” I tell him, resting my hand over the top of his. “I’ve had a nap and I’m all refreshed. You have a long day ahead of you, and I’m betting you’ll hit a wall by dinner. You sort what you need to sort, and then go home and sleep.” I pause, forcing my eyes wide like an idea just occurred to me. “Tell you what, you head straight to work, and I’llswing by the real estate office to grab the keys. That way, I can get the bed all set up for you, ready and waiting.”
Gratitude shines from his eyes. “Knew there was a reason I married you.”
It takes a lot of concentration, but I manage to keep the pain off my face, stroking his fingers one last time. When I pull away, I squeeze my hand into a fist, acting like I can’t still feel the warmth of his skin on my fingertips.
“I just want to take care of you, like you do for me,” I say, the words like acid coating my tongue.
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
I look away, pretending to be fascinated with the view outside the window, acting like every time he calls me that, he isn’t basically eviscerating me with a blunt, rusty knife.
CHAPTER 5
Declan
Something’s wrong with my wife.
I stare out over the cityscape, not surprised at the fog rolling in, shrouding the buildings in different shades of gray. There’s a light pattering as rain drizzles against the windows of my office, obscuring my view.
Usually when I stand in this spot, I’m filled with satisfaction, seeing it as a symbol of how far I’ve come.
I don’t see it now.
Instead, I see Lily’s withdrawn expression as candlelight flickered over her features. I see her pale face and dark circles underneath her eyes, after she spent the night on the couch.
And I didn’t even notice she’d left the bed.
Guilt surges, hot and shameful.
