Page 243 of The Reason I Married Him
It’s very small, but it’s there.
“The smell was so bad, I nearly passed out and cracked my head open on the sink. Luckily, I held it together enough to wash up. But I did leave a body imprint on her couch, one that’s still there. I know now that depression wasn’t from missing Cadance but from being imperfect.” He moves an inch closer and lowers his voice. “But being imperfect is what makes us human, something I’m starting to accept. Good night, Aubree. I love you.”
I stepout of the bathroom and find Wyatt sitting on the edge of the bed. I stayed later at the main house to work out some logistics with Hattie in The Almond Store and the chickens we have coming in soon.
When I got back to the guest house, Wyatt was already showered and ready for bed, so I took my time getting ready, thinking he’d fall asleep, but nope, he’s been sitting on the edge of the bed this whole time, waiting for me. Not wanting to goaround him, I enter the bed from the foot of it and then slide into the sheets from there.
He stands and checks the locks like every night before slipping under the covers, but like the other two nights, he moves another inch closer so I can feel his body heat.
We have yet to talk or interact other than his one-sided conversations at night, and when Hattie or even Echo ask me how it’s going, I just tell them that we’re living together but not talking. I don’t miss the sad look on Hattie’s face every time I tell her nothing’s going on, but she’s just like Cassidy, hoping for love for everyone.
When I close my eyes, pretending to fall asleep, he says, “You looked really pretty today. You look pretty every day, but I love when you wear overalls. I love when you have a bandanna tied up in your hair, and I love when you don’t wear makeup. Your freckles pop through, and it’s almost like I can truly see you unguarded. Today was one of those days when I was reminded, like a kick to the gut, just how beautiful you are.”
My teeth fall on my top lip as I try not to let his words or the proximity of his body affect me. It feels like when he was trying to make me comfortable with his kisses all over again. Slowly and surely, he chipped away every night. And just like the kisses, I feel like it’s working.
“I know I never told you about the first time I ever met you, and I don’t know if you even remember it, but it was at Clarke and Cassidy’s rehearsal. You wore this green dress that clung to your curves with this scoop neckline. You caught my eye immediately, and Clarke told me to keep to myself, that I was not to bother you, especially since you were younger than me. But that didn’t stop me from stealing glances throughout the night. And at one point, you were leaning forward, talking to Cassidy at the table, and the neckline of your dress dipped. Fuck, did I take a good look at your cleavage. That night, it’s all I fucking thoughtabout, so when you showed up at the wedding wearing another low-cut dress, I nearly wept.”
I can’t hold back. I let out a small snort because how ridiculous.
“When I realized the dress had a high slit, I cried into my napkin.” He scoots in another inch, and now it feels like there is but a mere centimeter between us. “I didn’t know at the time that the crush I had for you would turn into a full-blown case of love, but here I am.” His finger runs along my hip, and I still, my breath caught in my throat. “I knew there was something special about you back then. I wish I’d have approached you, asked you out, done something to make that connection with you because I think about all the things in life we could have experienced together. You could have held my hand when I found out Clarke died—one of the worst days of my life, a day I don’t talk about much. We weren’t that close, but that’s what rocked me because we could have been if I’d put in more effort, one of the biggest regrets of my life. And when Cassidy passed, I could have been there for you, for the family, for Mac. I know it’s a would-have, could-have, should-have moment, but making a move on you back then would have been one of the smartest decisions I ever made. Good night, Aubree. I love you.”
Hattie:What do you think he’s going to tell you tonight?
I stare down at my phone as Wyatt is in the bathroom once again getting ready.
I had dinner with Hattie and Echo tonight, making it a girls’ night, and I told them all about Wyatt and the things he’s been saying to me at night. Of course Hattie was head over heels inlove with the stories, while Echo took a more calming approach and asked me how I felt about it.
I told her it felt like he was wearing me down, making me forget why I was mad in the first place. She reminded me it was because he never opened up to me and that put things back into perspective, because now, it feels like he’s an open book, like I can read him so clearly.
Aubree:I don’t know, but I’m worried.
Hattie:Why are you worried?
Aubree:Because I don’t want him to say something to me that will break down my wall.
Hattie:A wall that’s already cracked.
Aubree:Exactly.
Hattie:Would it be so bad if you did let down that wall, Aubree?
Aubree:Yes. I don’t want to get hurt again.
Hattie:I can understand that, but a part of me thinks that you’re not giving him the chance that he deserves.
Aubree:You think I should give him another chance?
Hattie:Absolutely. He didn’t tell you the truth about his past. That’s awful, and I get it, but he’s telling you now. He’s telling you he loves you. He’s making the moves to be a part of your life, your forever life. Open up to him and give him the chance.
Aubree:And if he hurts me?
Hattie:He won’t. From the conversation he had with Ryland and me, I can promise you, he won’t.
Wyatt takes that moment to exit the bathroom, freshly showered and looking so good in a pair of boxer briefs and nothing else. He checks the locks on the door, and when he turns to face me in bed and I’m not curled away from him, he smiles.
“Hey, you.”
I press my lips together and quietly say, “Hey.” Before he can respond or before I can take in his reaction, I turn away from him and plug my phone in. I rest my head on my pillow and curl my knees up toward my chest as he slides into bed. This time, he leaves no space between us as his hand lands on my hip.
