Twenty-Seven

MELANIE

Idiscreetly pick at the lace trim on the tablecloth, wishing I was at Nathan’s father’s house rather than being forced to endure an afternoon tea with my mother and Bryce. He did try to insist on coming with me, but I suspect this is the last time I’ll be coming here for a while given the conversation I’m about to initiate, and what I have to say needs to be said without my husband present.

“You’re quieter than usual, Melanie,” my mother says.

I shake my head. “Sorry, I was distracted. Did you say Bryce would be joining us?”

She sniffs. “He’ll be down shortly.”

Glancing around the room, I nod. The parlor has always been stifling. Even when my father was alive, this room was my mother’s domain. Don’t sit there, Melanie. Don’t touch that. Stop fidgeting. I pull at the neck of my sweater, wishing once more I was with Nathan. Actually, anywhere but here would be preferable.

“You look tired, dear sister.” Bryce’s arrogant voice carries across the room. “Is married life wearing you out?” He snorts, and it makes my skin crawl.

“Actually, married life is great. Which is what I wanted to speak to you both about.”

My mother blinks at me, her lip curled in a sneer, and Bryce snorts with disgust.

I clear my throat. “I know this marriage was—is a business arrangement, but it’s working out better than I think any of us hoped. And I just wanted to make my feelings clear about the whole cheating clause.”

Bryce rolls his eyes, but I continue undeterred. “Despite what you think of him, Nathan isn’t a cheater. Your whole honey trap idea is ridiculous anyway, but it’s not going to happen, Bryce. Promise me that you won’t even think about doing something so stupid.”

“And just what exactly qualifies you to decide that it’s such a stupid idea, dear sister?” he spits.

“Because I know my husband. He’s not a cheater.”

He scoffs. “Then why are you so worried about trying the honey trap? If you’re so convinced of his integrity, it won’t matter. He’ll say no, and there’ll be no harm done.”

“Just don’t even try it, Bryce. I’m warning you.”

He jumps to his feet and looms over me, his teeth bared and his body shaking with rage. “You are warning me? Don’t forget who you’re talking to, little sister.”

My mother places a hand on his arm, and he sits back down. “This is the easiest way to get you out of this marriage, Melanie,” she says softly, like she’s trying to calm a skittish animal.

“I don’t want out.”

Huffing, Bryce crosses his arms.

“I love him, Mom,” I admit. “And I think he might learn to love me one day.”

Bryce’s twisted laugh fills the room, and my mother shakes her head in dismay, her eyes full of pity. Like I’m some stupid little girl and not a grown woman who’s perfectly capable of understanding when a man has feelings for her. “The business doesn’t need money from a divorce payout. With Nathan and his father’s contacts, you can get any investor you want. Hell, I’m sure he’d even loan you the money if the business really needs it. I could just ask him—”

Bryce crashes his fist down on the table. “You really are pathetic, Melanie. You think a man like that will listen to anything you have to say? All he wants you for is to breed you like a whore, and we all know he might never get to do that, don’t we? You might be easy to knock up, but you’re pretty damn useless at keeping those little bastards in there, aren’t you?”

Tears sting my eyes, and I push myself to my feet. I have never met anyone so cruel in my entire life. “Promise me you won’t go ahead with it, Bryce. Promise or I’ll tell him about your ridiculous scheme.”

He snarls, and spittle leaks from the corners of his mouth.

“Promise me!” I shout.

He glances at my mother, who gives him a single nod.

“Fine!” he barks. “But don’t come running home to us when he finds out what a useless, needy little bitch you really are.”

I’d rather die than come back here. “I won’t. I give you my word.”

As I walk down the driveway of my childhood home, I almost cry out with relief when I see Teddy waiting for me at the bottom.

He smiles, and I sniff and swat at my cheeks, hoping he can’t tell I’ve been crying. “Tedward. What are you doing here?”

“Mr. James told me to wait for you. His father’s driver can take him home.”

As I get closer, Teddy’s eyes fill with concern. “Are you okay, Mrs. James?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Families, huh?” I say, forcing a smile.

“Do you need anything?”

I bite my lip and nod. “I could really use a hug.”

Seemingly without a second’s pause for thought, he steps forward and wraps his giant arms around me. I bury my face in his suit jacket. “Thank you, Tedward. Will you please take me home?”

“My pleasure, Mrs. James.”

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

NATHAN

“Is everything okay?” I say into my phone after answering my driver’s call.

I hear him take a deep breath. “I’m not sure, sir. Mrs. James just left her mother’s house, and she seemed quite upset.”

“Did she say what happened?”

“She said she was fine, but then she … She needed a hug, sir.”

I roll my neck and clench my free hand into a fist. I can guarantee her reaction had something to do with her asshole brother. “Bring her to me.”

“She said she wants to go home, sir.”

“You can get her here faster than I can get home to her. Bring her to me.”

“Of course, sir.”

I end the call and look up to find my dad and brothers staring at me. “Mel just left her mother’s house upset. I told Teddy to bring her here.”