My husband's eyes narrowed at that tidbit, and his face reddened. I wasn't sure why that statement bugged him so much, but I decided not to push.
"I also volunteer at pet shelters in Finsbury Park and Wimbledon. They all provided excellent references for me."
He continued to stare at the piece of paper until it crinkled under his hand. "I…see." He glanced up at me. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" There was a flash of hurt in his dark eyes before it disappeared.
I looked away, discomforted for a split second. "I was waiting for the right time. There was no guarantee that I would get in," I softly remarked. "Placements are competitive, so I wanted to wait until I was sure."
"And after you got in?" he demanded.
The date of that letter indicated that it was sent a while ago. It wasn't that Alessio was unapproachable or scary. I'd just been so happy and comfortable with the status quo—that is, until it had blown itself to smithereens.
"There just wasn't the right time. You were in the middle of acquiring property up north, so I rarely saw you."
Up north in Manchester. With Annabelle.
I snatched up my wine and drank deeply.
"And what would you ultimately like to do? Own a shelter, perhaps?"
"I want to be a vet surgeon."
He jerked in surprise.
"I want a life outside this marriage," I continued, my voice shaking in earnest. "I know you think I love shopping and lunching all day, but I don't always. Before I entered this marriage, I had dreams of going to veterinary college. I put them on hold to run your household. But I need more now, and I don't want to let the opportunity pass me by."
"Is this about what happened at the gala?" His words were laced with desperation, finally breaking past the elephant lurking in the corner. "Because if it is, I assure you, that is over—"
"I don't care about that," I quickly interrupted, pink rising in my cheeks. I wasn't ready to discuss it, if at all. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing left to say in the matter—although I was relieved to hear that he'd at least ended things with Annabelle.
We'd been to another charity function since that night, and I almost had a panic attack in the lavatory upstairs. What if I unknowingly socialised with one of his women? What if everyone was quietly laughing at me? But I held my head high and smiled through it all.
Alessio had stuck by my side all night—another thing that was out of character for him. His arm was firmly wrapped around my back, or his large hand enclosed over mine. I didn't quite know what to make of it. It was an odd kind of juxtaposition—my quiet source of comfort and pain.
"What you do outside our marital home is clearly not my concern," I roughly injected. "After all, you promised to be more discreet." I glanced up at him. "Right?"
My eyes swam with some heavy emotion, and he dropped his gaze from whatever he saw there. He seemed to be battling something inside himself, and I held my breath for his response.
His small nod of agreement killed that layer of hope I'd stupidly carried. My shaky breath expelled, and I clenched my jaw to keep my true feelings from spilling over.
"I'm not asking you," I stated, breaking through the tense silence. "I'm giving you notice that this is what I'll be doing for at least four years. There will be times when I'm not home or will be late."
He bowed his head for a moment, and I stared at his handsome profile. His hair was a little longer than usual, and I made a note to book him in for a haircut. His strong jaw was also lined with stubble that was a little more on the unkempt side. But I always found it sexy this way.
Whatever internal struggle Alessio seemed to be battling was swiftly pushed aside. He raised his head with a tight smile and handed my letter back.
"If this is what you want to do, then you have my full support. I'm happy for you."
Chapter 6
Alessio
Millie:Thank you so much for my school supplies. You didn't have to do all this, but thank you.
I immediately texted her back.
Alessio:You're welcome. I'll be home early again, let's go out for dinner.
I pocketed my phone and tried to concentrate back on the documents in front of me, but the words swam and blurred.
