Page 86 of Wild Ever After
Her gaze narrows, and she studies me for a long moment. “So you agreed to marry me hoping it would help get her off your back?”
“Of course not. It wasn’t like that. I saw an opportunity to help you, and I took it.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to. We’ve been through this.”
“I know, butwhy? Why me?”
I’m not sure how to answer that, and I don’t want to bullshit her.
“This was a mistake,” she says.
A cold sensation ripples down my spine. “What was a mistake?”
“Us. Me and you.” She motions between us. “We were stupid to agree to this arrangement and even stupider to get involved while we’re in this temporary marriage.”
“Is this because I got rid of the mugs? I don’t even know why you use them. Yours are much nicer.”
“I use your old mugs because I like them!” She yells as she throws her hands up in the air. Silence falls between us after her outburst, then she whispers, “I’m gonna go.”
Jade takes off out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
“Go where?” I ask, following a few feet behind.
“Back to my mom’s for now, then I’ll find a place. No one is going to check up on us to make sure we’re living together. We have nine more months and then we can go our separate ways and forget all of this. I’m sorry I dragged you into my mess.”
“Wait a second.” I jog ahead of her. “You didn’t drag me into anything. I was a very willing participant in all of it.”
“You’re a good guy, Declan,” she says like that’s the problem, then pushes past me.
I stand dumbfounded for a few seconds. What the hell is happening?
30
WE AREN’T OVER, SWEETHEART
JADE
Tears falldown my face as I shut the bedroom door behind me. So stupid. He looked so happy to see me. And I felt such relief to have somewhere safe to go after the fight with my mom, and now here I am leaving. I’ve screwed everything up so badly this time. No, I screwed this up months ago, by allowing him to step in and take Sam’s place.
My mom is right. You can’t start a relationship like this.
At least now, it’s over. There’s a comfort in the certainty of messing something up so badly you know it’s irreparable. I know how to be alone. It’s something I’ve prided myself on, never allowing a man to change me or get so deep that who I am revolves around him.
I loved Sam, or at least I thought I did, but I never worried about losing a piece of me with him. But with Declan, I feel like I’m in real danger of letting him in so deep that when it ends, I’ll never recover.
He knocks twice before opening the door. My back is to him, but I can tell he’s hesitating before stepping into my space.
The words that come out are harder and louder than I expect from him. “What the hell, Jade?”
He’s pissed. I stop packing. Fuck it, there’s nothing here I need. I put my half-packed bag on my shoulder. I swipe at my tears before looking at him. “Don’t worry. I’m going.”
“Like hell you are.” He stands in the doorway, blocking my exit. “Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on? You leave Friday without warning, then come back early and pick a fight over mugs and a girl I don’t give two-shits about.”
My throat is thick with emotion and more tears threaten to spill over if I speak.
He takes a step closer, and his voice is softer when he asks, “What happened with your mom?”
