by E. L. Todd
The next morning, I woke up before she did. Unfortunately, I had to open the shop so I was the first one there. But every morning, I watched her face, noting the relaxed expression of her eyes and mouth. Sometimes I felt like a creeper for doing it, but now that I was her husband I felt more secure with my odd tendencies.
I headed to work then ran the register. The day went by but all I could think about we the papers underneath my desk. I wasn’t sure why I took them. Confiscating them wouldn’t change what happened. She would just print out another copy and ask me to sign it anyway.
At lunchtime, I met Cayson at Mega Shake.
“What’s up?” Cayson chewed his food as he sat across from me.
I only munched on a few fries before I tossed the folder on the table.
“What’s that?” Cayson asked while he stared at it.
“Those pre-nup papers Trinity wants me to sign.”
He stopped chewing and quickly swallowed his food. “So, she asked you?”
“No…not yet.”
‘Then why do you have them?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Because I stole them.”
Cayson sighed. “And what do you hope to accomplish by doing that?”
I opened the folder and stared at the front page. “It bothers me she wants me to sign this. To me, that means she worries about our relationship.”
“It’s just a precaution.”
“But I’m afraid if I refuse to sign it Trinity will think I just want her money.”
Cayson shook his head slightly. “She would never think that, Slade.”
“I want her to be happy. And if this makes her happy…then I guess I’ll sign it.”
“So, you’re going to give it back to her?”
I took out a pen then spun it in my fingers. “No. I’m going to sign it.”
“What?” Both of Cayson’s eyebrows shot up. “Why?”
“If I sign it proactively, then she never has to ask me to do it. It annihilates the conversation altogether. We never have to speak of it again.”
Cayson gave me a grim look. “I guess that makes sense.”
“And, as long as I get to keep her I don’t care what I have to sign.”
He gave me a meaningful look. “You’re so different, Slade.”
“In a good way or a bad way?”
“A good way,” he said. “You’re taking your job as a husband seriously.”
“I promised her I would.”
“And I can tell you’ll always keep that promise.”
I sighed while I stared at the paper. Then I gripped the pen and signed it everywhere I was supposed to. I added my initials on a few pages then added the final signature at the bottom. “If she doesn’t believe we’ll make it, that’s fine. Because I do.”
Cayson clapped my shoulder. “You did the right thing, man.”
I closed the folder and pushed it away. “I guess.”
Chapter Twelve
Trinity
“Trinity?” Abigail called my name for a third time.
I finally looked up from my desk. “Sorry…what did you say?”
“I just got the fax for the shipments. Do you want me to place the order?” She held a clipboard in her arms and stared at me like she thought I was sick.
“Uh…sure.”
Abigail didn’t move. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, I’m just a bit distracted today.”
Abigail gave me another look before she left my office.
I returned to staring at my desk, lost in thought. Last night, Slade looked devastated when I refused to change my name. When he didn’t get his way, he usually argued with me until he got what he wanted. But he accepted it calmly and rationally.
That just made me feel worse.
His eyes looked hollow and empty, and it seemed like he lost the world. I didn’t completely understand why it was so important for me to change my name, but it obviously meant a great deal to him. To me, it was just a name. It didn’t make our marriage stronger or weaker. But it meant something more to him.
It was all I could think about. He was such a sweetheart to me, every moment of every day. He went out of his way to make an ordinary day special. He always took my feelings into consideration when he did anything. Now he didn’t accidentally say the wrong things to piss me off. He chose his words carefully. He made a lot of changes for this marriage.
When he promised to get it right this time on our wedding day I wasn’t sure if I could believe him. But whether he could or not didn’t change the fact I wanted to give this marriage a try. In the end, Slade had been true to his word. Now he was like a whole new man.
If he could make that compromise, couldn’t I make this one?
***
“Guys are weird about that,” Skye said over lunch. “It’s a territorial thing.”
“Apparently…”
“I understand why it bothers Slade. It would bother any guy.”
“But it really bothers him,” I said.
“Did he flip out and pull your hair?”
“No.” I remembered the look on his face at dinner. “He didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked like the world had ended.”
Skye was about to take a bite of her food but stopped. “He didn’t fight?”
“No…” I still couldn’t believe it.
“Wow…you really whipped him into shape, Trin.”
I wasn’t proud of it. To me, that wasn’t an accomplishment. “He looked heartbroken.”
“He’ll get over it.” She returned to eating her food.
“I really don’t think he will…”
“Is it even noticeable?” she asked. “It’s not like you introduce yourselves as Mr. Sisco and Mrs. Preston.”
“It still matters to him.”
“Then it looks like you’ll always have an uphill battle.” She finished her food then checked her phone. “I should probably get back to the office.”
“Yeah…”
Skye watched me for a moment. “You okay, Trin?”
Something didn’t feel right. Slade had done everything he could to make me happy and I hadn’t done the same for him. It wasn’t fair. And the fact Slade chose not to make a fight over it showed me how much he’d grown. Had I not grown at all? “I’m going to change my name.”
“What?” Skye abandoned her phone and her need to get back to work. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I should do it. Why is my job more important than my marriage?”
“No one said it was more important.”
“It means a lot to him. And I want to make him happy.”
Skye shrugged. “It’s up to you. No one thinks less of you either way.”
“But I know it’ll mean the world to him.”
***
When I walked into the apartment Slade was sitting on the couch with the TV off. He leaned back in the chair, and his mind seemed to be elsewhere.
I put my purse on the counter then approach him. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He said it without looking at me.
I guess he was still upset about changing my last name. I moved to the couch and sat beside him. “We need to talk…” When I faced forward I noticed the folder on the coffee table.
“Actually, let me go first.” He grabbed the papers then handed them to me. “I signed it. Let’s not speak of it and just move on.”
I took the folder with a shaky hand. “Sign what?”
He released a sigh. “Trinity, I know about the pre-nup. I admit I was hurt in the beginning but it really doesn’t matter how I feel. If this makes you more comfortable, of course I’ll sign it.”
I flipped it open and saw his signatures. “Slade…”
“Now that it’s finished, let’s just forget about it.”
The weight of his actions hit me hard. Asking for a pre-nup would offend anyone. It insinuated the marriage would fail. I had doubts before we got married, but any concern I had disappeared the moment we said I do. The fac
t he did this by his own accord touched me. “Slade…I was never going to ask you to sign this.”
He looked at me for the first time. “Then why did you have it?”
“My dad gave it to me. He said I should think about it. But I decided I would never give this to you. It’s offensive and heartbreaking. I’m sorry you assumed otherwise…”
He stared at me with soft eyes. Whatever hurt he felt a moment ago was gone.
“I can’t believe you agreed to sign it…” I picked up the papers and tore each one in half.
He watched me without moving.
“You and I don’t need a pre-nup,” I said. “Because this is forever, Slade.”
A slight smile upturned his lips. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I tore the last paper in half then tossed it on the ground. “Dad didn’t want to sway me in either direction but I decided it wasn’t right for us. He said my mom never signed one, and Scarlet never signed one either. And I agree with those decisions.”
He put his arm around my shoulders then kissed my neck. “I don’t have a problem with you protecting your assets. I just…”
“Didn’t like the fact I doubted us. I know.”
“Good thing you didn’t.”
I pressed my forehead to his then rubbed my nose against his.
He looked down at me with those eyes that were full of affection and love.
“There’s something else…” I grabbed the papers out of my purse then handed them to him.
“What?” he asked as he glanced at them.
I smiled. “You’re looking at Mrs. Sisco.”
His eyes darted back and forth as he took in my words. Then he read through the papers, realizing what I’d done. When he turned back to me the emotion was heavy in his eyes. “You changed your name?”
“Yep. And I will have everyone call me Mrs. Sisco.”
He stared at me fondly with a smirk on his lips. “I really like the way it sounds.”
“It has a good ring to it.”
He tossed the papers on the coffee table. “That means a lot to me.”
“I know.”
He leaned into me then cupped my face. “I didn’t ask you to do that.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes. I want to be your wife. And that’s more important than work.”
His eyes coated with moisture slightly before it disappeared. Then he pulled me into his lap, making me straddle his hips. “It’s clear we would do anything for each other.”
“We’re soul mates. It’s not surprising.”
He kissed the hollow of my throat then my neck. “You’re right. We are.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lexie
I tucked the blankets around me and tried to hide from the world. My bed was so comfortable and the Chinese food filled the air. Someone came to the door but I didn’t bother to see who it was.
Jared returned, shirtless and in his boxers.
“Who was it?” I asked quietly.
He approached the bed slowly before he sat at the edge. “Conrad.”
My eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat. Then I bolted upright. “Conrad?”
“Yeah.” He bowed his head like he was disappointed.
“What did he want? What did he say?” What reason would he have to come here? Did he want to scream at me? Did he have something else to say? Was he finally ready to admit the truth about Beatrice?
“He didn’t say.” He rubbed his palms together. “He didn’t say anything at all.”
That left me confused. “I don’t understand…”
Jared stared at his hands as he spoke. “But I saw how devastated he was to see me…answering your door in just shorts.”
Was he really?
“Lexie, the guy looked like he lost everything.”
“I hope he feels like that.”
Jared turned to me but there was no pride in his eyes. “You really should talk to him. This guy really cares about you.”
“If he did, he wouldn’t lie to me.”
“Confront him—directly.”
“I’ll pass.”
“Why would he fly all the way to California if he wasn’t head over heels for you?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe he was bored. Don’t ask me to explain his behavior.”
“Lexie.” His voice came out stern. “There’s something more going on. Stop hiding in your bed and confront him. Why would he come back here after you told him off? This guy doesn’t want to let you go.”
“I have no idea what he wants.”
Jared turned away again. “I told him we weren’t sleeping together but I’m not sure if he heard me.”
“And I couldn’t care less if he did.”
Jared rose from the bed then grabbed his clothes.
“Are you leaving?” I couldn’t hide my sadness at the thought. I hated being alone. Jared understood my pain and accepted it. No one else knew that about me. I’d hated him for years but now…he was actually my friend again.
“I need to take care of something.” He pulled his jeans and t-shirt on.
“What?”
“Something personal.”
“Will you come back?” I didn’t bother hiding my weakness.
“I might.” He grabbed his phone and walked out.
***
An hour later, there was a knock on my door.
I immediately jumped out of bed and jogged across the hardwood floor to the entrance. Jared had returned, and it was better to be with him than to be alone with my depressing thoughts. I opened the door without glancing through the peephole then practically stumbled forward.
Beatrice stood in front of me, looking beautiful like a princess. Her brown hair was pulled over one shoulder, and she stared at me with bright green eyes that saw right through me. There was no threat in her eyes, but there was definitely something else.
“Can I help you?” I knew I looked like a mess but I tried to keep my confidence.
“Probably not,” she said. “But I have a few things to say to you.” Hostility was in her voice.
I could take her. “Well, spit it out. I have things to do.”
“Lay in bed?”
I cocked an eyebrow then gripped the door. “If you don’t want me to rip that pretty hair out I suggest you watch yourself.”
Beatrice didn’t back down. She didn’t seem scared at all. “I came here to tell you that you’re the dumbest woman I’ve ever known.”
That was a good start.
“Conrad is the sweetest and most caring man I’ve ever met. He’s loyal, honest, and beautiful. When we were together, he was patient and understanding. Stupidly, I threw him away because I couldn’t move past my hatred for my family. And I lost him. It’s something I’ll regret for the rest of my life. I will always love him, even if he doesn’t feel the same way.”
What was she talking about?
“The man adores you—completely and irrevocably. He can’t sleep or function without you in his life. He’s practically a corpse. You’ve brought him so much pain and he doesn’t deserve it. You’re blind and stupid for not wanting him, and I judge you for it.”
Her words washed over me but I couldn’t process them.
“In time, I know he’ll come around. If I’m patient enough, one day he’ll feel something for me again and maybe we can work on our relationship. If I work hard enough, I could make him fall in love with me again. That’s a lot of trust I have to repair. But that would be wrong because…he’s in love with you and not me.”
I gripped the door tighter. “He told you this?”
“Yes. And he didn’t need to. Lexie, the man is head-over-heels for you. He’s been terrified for a long time, unsure of what he was feeling or how to tell you the truth. But it’s a good thing that he didn’t because you clearly don’t give a damn about him. And I just want you to know that you’re a stupid, stupid girl. He’s the best ma
n you’ll ever find. If you don’t want him, there are a million other girls who will take him.”
My mind was swirling in confusion. “Hold on…I thought you and Conrad were back together.”
“No. Why would you think that?”
What was going on? “Because I saw you two together—several times.”
“He didn’t tell you what he’s been doing with me?”
“No…”
She bowed her head. “My father passed away. He’s been keeping me company and getting me through it. My mother passed away a few years before him so I no longer have parents. Perhaps he didn’t tell you to protect my secret. I’m not sure. But we’re definitely not getting back together.”
My lungs relaxed for the first time in months. I could finally get a breath of fresh hair. My heart stopped racing and returned to a normal pace. “You’ve never…?”
“No, Lexie. Is that why you accused him of being a liar?”
“Conrad told you?”
“I’ve been his crutch as he’s been mine. He told me how hurt he was in California. He woke up thinking you two were back together. Instead, you called him a liar and threw him out. It broke his heart, Lexie.”
I steadied myself so I wouldn’t fall over. “So…you’re telling me he wants me?”
She nodded.
“And that he’s in love with me?”
She nodded again.
“Are you sure?”
She smiled for the first time. “You really don’t see it?”
I looked down because I didn’t have a response.
“I’m going to give you some advice. Look at me.”
I moved my gaze to hers.
“There are no men like Conrad. He’s the finest of them all. Don’t lose him. You’ll regret it forever.”
Every time I looked at Beatrice all I felt was hatred. But now when I looked at her I felt something else. “Thank you…”
“Now go get him.” She started to walk away. “Otherwise, I’m going to keep him for myself.”
Chapter Fourteen
Conrad
I finished my third beer then made a pyramid out of the bottles. The TV was off but I stared at it like there was something to see. As much as I tried not to think about it, the image of Jared and Lexie came to my mind. He kissed her and touched her in places I thought belonged to me. She moaned his name and asked for more.