Page 194 of Indulge
“Think of it like a compatibility test. The kind married couples take when they’re trying to figure out if they’ve picked the right person.”
Reggie laughs under his breath. “And you’ll be the judge?”
“Of course,” I say. “That’s what wives do.”
His grin fades. Rowan’s, too.
They both know I’m half joking—but also not at all. I take a seat and cross one leg over the other.
I gesture for them to sit, one on either side of me.
Reggie leans back in his chair, his body language lazy but his eyes sharp.
Rowan rests his elbows on his knees, watching me like I’m the question he already knows the answer to.
“This test isn’t about who loves me more,” I tell them. “It’s about who understands me best. Who listens when I don’t say what I mean. Who pays attention to the details. That’s what marriage is, isn’t it? Not grand gestures. Just knowing.”
I shuffle the cards, my pulse steady but my hands trembling anyway. The word ‘love’ sitting heavy in my chest. It’s not something we’ve said out loud. But I know in my heart that is how I feel.
“Ready?”
They both nod.
I smile, sharp enough to cut. “Then let’s play.”
94
ROWAN
Her voice softens when she starts reading.
The first question sounds harmless enough, but with Bella, nothing ever is.
“What’s my favorite time of day?”
Reggie answers first. “Midnight. You like the quiet. The moment where the busy slips away and you can read in peace.”
She tilts her head. “Close.”
I lean forward. “Sunrise,” I say. “You pretend you hate mornings, but you love beginnings. You love the promise that maybe this one won’t hurt.”
Her lips part, and she doesn’t speak for a moment. Then she nods once, writing something down on the pad beside her.
“Next question,” she says softly. “What’s the first thing I’d do if everything fell apart?”
Reggie doesn’t hesitate. “Fight.”
I shake my head. “No. You’d disappear. You’d run, just long enough to convince yourself no one could follow.”
She looks up sharply, and I can see it in her eyes—the flicker of recognition, the truth hitting home.
“Third question,” she says, voice quieter now. “What do I want most but will never admit out loud?”
Reggie glances at me, his confidence wavering for the first time tonight.
He’s good with words, but this one’s mine.
I meet her eyes.
