Page 60 of Lone King


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“What? What’s so funny?”

“I was thinking about us eating Chinese that one night and you practically throwing the chopsticks across the room when you couldn’t figure out how to use them.”

“Yeah, I’m more of a fork kind of guy, but you walked over and stood by my side to help me learn how to use them. I’m still not good at chopsticks, but I’m better because you helped me.”

He stops and then adds, “I’m a better man and a better person because of you, Duck. Losing you would mean losing the best thing in my life.”

My heart breaks hearing him like this. I love this man. I’m crazy about him. I don’t want to lose him any more than he wants to lose me.

Marius takes both of my hands in his and holds them, almost as if he’s afraid if he doesn’t that I’ll run away. “I just need tohear you think you can forgive me. That’s it, Eden. If you can’t, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

As much as I wish I could simply walk away from him and never forgive what he’s done, that’s simply not possible. Not with how I feel about him. Even sitting here in this neutral space in our home and in these horrible chairs we both hate makes me want to take him into my arms and never let him go again.

“I think I can forgive you,” I say in a quiet voice.

His eyes get big, and his face lights up with pure joy. “That’s all I needed to hear. You’re going to see being married to me is a good thing from now on.”

“It wasn’t bad before, Marius. It wasn’t enough of a marriage. That’s all.”

He stands up and then leans down to kiss me. “Now I know what I have to do. I think I heard Ava come back, so go enjoy your ice cream together. I have to go.”

What?

Now I’m confused. He came here to apologize for all that he did and to find out if I can forgive him for being such an absent husband, and the first thing he thinks to do to prove his love is leave me again?

“Where are you going?” I ask as he starts down the stairs.

Marius looks back at me and gives me a big smile. “To make you see why you should forgive me. I love you, Duck! Never doubt that.”

And with those lovely words, he bolts downstairs, leaving me unsure what the hell just happened.

When I get downstairs, Ava is waiting with bowls of mint chocolate chip ice cream for us. “Hey, Marius looked happy when he left. He even apologized to me and said he deserved me smacking him. What happened?”

I sit down at the island and dig my spoon into a big scoop of ice cream. After I let it melt in my mouth, I answer her astruthfully as I can. “I have no idea. He said he was sorry. He told me he loved me. He asked me if I could ever forgive him, and when I said I think so, he jumped up and said he had to go.”

Ava stops eating and shakes her head. “Where?”

“I have no idea. He said he knows what he has to do now to make him forgive me, and then he practically ran down the stairs. Should I be afraid he thinks everything is better and he doesn’t have to do anything else?”

My friend smiles and scoops up a spoonful of ice cream from her bowl. “I think you should be ready for him to do something ridiculously big. Matthias does that when we have fights. One time, after we had a huge argument about him working every day, he bought me my car. I would have been fine with some flowers and an apology, but he thought saying sorry and handing me the keys to a brand new car was what I needed.”

As I dip my spoon into my melting ice cream, I smile and joke, “I like the car I have already. I don’t need a car.”

Ava levels her gaze on my face. “Eden, he bought you this penthouse when you said you didn’t want to go to hotels anymore. Marius is obviously a man who likes to go big.”

“I guess he took go big or go home literally, although I guess it should be go big and go back home for him.”

“This ice cream is delicious, Duck. Am I allowed to call you that? It’s cute, and I’ve never though of you as cute.”

Shaking my head, I smile. “No, that’s a Marius King thing. I’m still regular old Eden to you and the rest of the world.”

I don’t tell her the truth why she can’t call me by his nickname for me. She’d understand, but I want to keep that private.

The reason no one but Marius can call me Duck is that’s his unique name for me. It’s a special thing only between us.

So what is that man going to do to convince me to forgive him? I don’t need a car or a house, and we’ve taken vacationsaround the world so I can’t imagine where he might think of us going now. He’ll probably go with jewelry.

Maybe I’ll get an engagement ring finally.