My gaze drops to Sterling’s hand on my thigh, and I gently dust my fingers along his forearm, over his scars.
“When he wants something?”
I grimace.
“What’s he threatening you with?”
I fight back the growing lump in my throat.
“Hallie?” Sterling growls.
My fingers tremble against his skin. “He said he’ll tell my parents. I’m worried they’ll never forgive me for lying all this time. And he said my clients might be interested to know that I divorced my husb?—”
“Annulled! He was never your husband,” Sterling thunders, his grip tightening on my thigh.
I trace over his scars with shaking fingertips, desperate to cling on to something that grounds me in the way the touch of his skin against mine does.
He exhales slowly, stroking my thigh gently as though my touch is calming him too.
“What else?”
I glance up.
“What else?” he presses. “I can see it in your eyes.”
What I’m about to say next pains me more than knowing I married Rory in the first place. At least that was one isolated mistake. Just one.
“He helped my family… with money. My parents used their savings for Jenny’s school. I thought he was being a good friend and was so grateful. When my business began doing well, I repaid him. But then he asked me for a loan.
“I gave it to him. I was scared he’d tell my parents, jeopardize my business. He said he’d pay me back, but I haven’t seen any of it. All that money I’ve loaned him is gone. I might as well have stolen it from Jenny’s charity myself.”
Even Sophie doesn’t know how much I’ve lent Rory over the years. I’m too embarrassed to admit it. I thought he’d stop asking. He always says it’s the last time, just like he did today. I hoped I’d earn enough from my matches that I could give more to Jenny’s charity than Rory has cost me.
“Every time I think it’s over, I start to hope. But he always shows up again sooner or later. I told him to never come back today. I’ll tell my parents. I’ll deal with whatever happens to my business. I can’t let him keep doing this. I’m not a woman who deserves your love if I don’t stand up to him.”
“Let me take care of it. I’ll make sure you never have to see him again,” Sterling says with a finality that makes me suck in a breath.
I didn’t think Sterling would ever be capable of hurting another person. This is the man who has held me when I’ve cried, who donates millions to charity, who has spent his entire life feeling like he was never anyone’s choice.
A man with so much love in every cell of his body.
But one look into his eyes now and I see that, for those he loves, there isn’t any limit to how far he’ll go.
I shake my head. “No. This is my fault. I need to fix it. Enough is enough. And I can’t risk him pulling you into it. You don’t deserve that.”
He presses the softest of kisses to my forehead.
“I’m so proud of the woman you are. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you. You care for others more than yourself. He’s abused the purest part of you. But you don’t need to do things alone anymore. I’m here. And I will be here for you no matter what.”
I sink my face into his neck, drawing strength from his trust and faith in me.
From his love.
He strokes my back, his touch strong and reassuring.
“You’ve got me now, Hallie. You don’t need to worry about anything. I love you. I love you so damn much.”
It takes everything in me to focus on his words and hope that he’s right.
