He narrowed his eyes into slits. “For me, you’re the best outcome from our marriage.”
“You didn’t marry me with the intention of staying married, Christian.”
“But I’m staying married to you because I love you.”
He knew exactly how to get my heart racing. “You’re insufferable.”
“You still love me,” he took a bite out of the kabob in my hand.
He silently worked while I obsessively stared at him. For a while now, I’d been wondering why he broke up with me.He hadn’t slept with anyone in the past seven years when the reason for our breakup—according to him—was to explore and to meet someone else. I didn’t want to ruin the moment, he was happy, he was loving, and he was kind. He’d look at me in an odd way and get annoyed if I bought it up. What mattered was we were together now right? That’s whatshouldmatter. But I couldn’t help thinking about that day. About his reasons, about why he forced me out of his life when he didn’t do much after.
“Wanna tell me what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” He snapped me out of it with his rough voice.
Now or never.
“Why’d you break up with me seven years ago?” My voice quaked, shivered, thrashed in my throat.
Christian’s mouth dropped like he didn’t expect me to ask him that.
“Never mind.” It was a stupid question to ask.
His presence invaded my senses—commanding them to figuratively spread their legs to make room for him. Christian came to stand in front of me with both hands on either side of my legs.
We got a couple of glances from the other chefs. With two thick fingers on my chin, he lifted my head. “Look at me, Sunshine.”
I did.
“I was an idiot when I broke up with you.”
“That’s obvious,” I mumbled.
His thumb brushed my chin. “It wasn’t because of you.”
“WhenEommapassed away… I was hit with these sudden feelings of loneliness. You loved me so much and it… scared me. I didn’t want to hurt you while I was hurting. That’s why I came up with a shitty excuse like wanting to meet other girls.”
His gaze softened. “But I know now that not even death could stop me from loving you, Adelaide.”
To think I tried to stop loving him when he was a selfless man.
I was heartbroken but my heart never broke because of what he did. It broke because of what he didn’t do. I waited to take care of him—wanted to hold his tears while he flooded the entirety of our relationship.
He didn’t let me do that and now I get why.
It should’ve been obvious back then.
“I’m not mad at you for breaking up with me, I asked because I wanted to understand why you lied,” I said.
“I’m sorry, it was easier lying at the time.”
I pecked his lips.
“Did you ever think about reaching out again afterwards?”
“Many times.”
“Why didn’t you?”
A dark look casted over his face, concealing him into a misty cloud that I couldn’t look through.
