Page 73 of Lust & Lies
Dolores smiled at me one more time before leaving. I stared over at Aiden. His gaze was lowered to his plate. I studied him while he wasn’t looking. Why did the staff keep giving me the vibe that something was off here?
Once, I could overlook. But twice, I couldn’t. Both Dolores and Gertrude seemed to hint that I may need them in the future. Even giving me their addresses so I could find them if something happened.
Did they expect something to happen? Did they not trust me alone here with my husband? I may have lost my memory, but I wasn’t a fool. Something was up, and I wanted to know what it was.
“Aiden,” I started, and waited for him to look up at me. When he did, I asked, “Is there anything you’re not telling me, husband?”
A look flashed in his eyes, there for a brief second, but I hadn’t missed it. Neither had I imagined it.Guilt. He felt guilty about something. I folded my arms over my chest.
“What aren’t you telling me, Aiden Park?” I asked.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
NOELLE
I KEPT MY EYES ON MYhusband, waiting for him to answer my question.
“There are a lot of things I’m keeping from you,” he told me. “Doctor’s orders.”
That BS again.
“But is there anything...” I paused, searching for the right word. “Is there anythingconcerningthat you’re keeping from me?”
He stared at me for a while before answering. “Is there something bothering you, Noe?”
“Just answer the question.”
Calm down, Noe. Don’t get upset. You could be overthinking again.
“I can’t answer the question the way you want because, yeah, there are concerning things I’m keeping from you. There’s a whole past that I’m keeping from you. Not on purpose, though. Therefore, that’s a loaded question that I can’t answer, love. But if there’s something you think I’ve done wrong, just tell me. I’ll fix it.”
“It’s not that,” I told him. “It’s just...” I went silent. I wanted answers, but all this was doing was frustrating me.
“Baby, did something happen during the meetings that made you feel uncomfortable?” he asked.
“Yes,” I admitted, meeting his gaze.
“Tell me. Let’s figure this out together.”
“Everyone was nice. I can tell we all get along around here.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” he asked.
“Yes. But why did I get the feeling that Dolores and Gertrude both were being extra protective of me?”
“They’ve always been that way with you, love.”
“But...” I sighed. “They both gave you dirty looks. Notdirtylooks. But guarded looks. Like they were letting you know they were keeping an eye on you.”
“Because they are, sweetie.”
“Don’t sweetie me!” I yelled, frustration forcing me to ball my hands into fists. “Just tell me what’s going on and stop making me feel like I’m overreacting.”
Tears sprang to my eyes.Fuck!Why was I tearing up again? Why couldn’t I have a damn conversation without getting emotional?Shit.I pushed away from the table, wanting to be alone until I could pull myself together because I was damn near ready to flip this table over.
“I’m no longer hungry,” I muttered.
Before I could get up, Aiden was rushing around the table and kneeling in front of me.
