Oh. I didn’t know that.
The drop in his tone makes it clear he doesn’t want to talk about her. “I think that’s sweet. He sounds like a lovely man and a wonderful father.”
Xavier’s eyes gloss over. “He is. Hewas. I loved my father very much. He was a good man, an honest man. He did everything right by me. He supported me even when he was angry at me. I am who I am because of him. When my mother left, he didn’t sit around and wallow. He put his best foot forward, and we moved on with our lives.”
“He’s the reason you’re going to be an amazing father,” I compliment. Despite what Emery said, Xavier won’t toss his child aside. I can see it in his expression; he will love his child the way his father loved him.
“I hope so,” he says, snapping out of his reverie. “And how about you? Do you want to be a mother?”
“One day. My mum did her best considering our situation.”
He nods his head before smiling. “I think she did a perfect job. You are nothing short of magnificent, Miss Hayes.”
His marble eyes melt into mine as we stand still, watching one another. There is a look of conflict in his eyes, and I know I need to say something.
“Emery is a lucky woman,” I choke out.
Xavier’s eyes don’t waver even for a second. “Let’s not talk about her.”
I try to put a little distance between us, but my legs don’t move. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Anything else.”
My chest heaves up and down as we stay wrapped in our feelings. “Xavier—“
“We made a vow, and she broke it.” He swallows hard. “She broke me.”
Emery had an affair? How could she want anyone but him?
“Do two wrongs make a right?”
I need him to pull away because he’s too much of a temptation. I would take Xavier in a heartbeat.
His eyes lower to the ground. “I don’t know anything anymore. All I know is whatfeelsright.“ He skates a few steps away from me. He offers a sad smile. “I hope when you have a baby, it’s not the outcome of a loveless marriage.”
I can’t think of anything to say. I nod and wait for him to make the next move.
“Let’s go.”
When he takes my hand in his, it feels intimate. It’s as though the secret of us is hidden from the world between our hands. Neither of us says anything as we slowly return to the brink and off the ice. We silently remove our skates and put our regular shoes back on. The car doors get the brunt of our frustration as we slam them shut.
I finally find the courage to ask, “Why not divorce her?”
His eyes flit over to me. “You don’t know my wife. She often reminds me it’s till death do us part.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means she can never know about today. In Emery’s game of chess, the king belongs to the queen. He cannot exist if the queen is knocked off the board.”
9
Ieyemyreflectionin the mirror, wondering if there is too much on display for tonight’s event with the deep V-neck plunge and the thigh-high slit. I nod at myself as I decide to stick with the outfit. If anyone is offended at some boob and leg showing, that is their problem. I complete my outfit with a thin gold bracelet and matching necklace.
I lift my dress as I walk through the garden to the main house, ready to face Xavier’s rage over being thirty minutes late. Once I am through the doors, I inspect my dress to ensure no dirt tarnishes the midnight blue material.
“You’re late,” he remarks when I join them in the foyer.
I roll my eyes. “It’s your own party. Can you really be late?”
