Not after he pressed his lips to my temple the next morning like it meant something.
But maybe it didn’t.
Maybe I read too much into it.
Maybe I fucked it up by asking for space.
And now?
Now I feel like the world’s biggest idiot.
Which is why earlier today, I met Hilary—aka Larry—at the bookstore.
The smell of old paperbacks and cinnamon tea usually relaxes me, but not when she’s staring at me like she’s about to solve a murder case.
She sets her latte down.Hard.
“Okay.Start from the beginning,” she demands.“You knew Nathan Thorn before he was famous, and now he married you and moved you and Bella into his gorgeous mansion to save you from some mafia flunky?”
I choke on my water.“Oh my God, Larry!I did not say Giovanni Russo was in the mob!”
“You didn’t have to.”She flips her laptop around.“Google did.”
I stare at the headline—an article speculating about Russo’s connections.
“Oh my God,” I whisper, blood draining from my face.
She snaps the laptop shut.
“Nope.We’re not spiraling right now.Focus.We’ll deal with him later.Tell me more about Nathan Thorn.”
“This,” I mutter into my sandwich, “is why I never brought him up.I knew you’d be weird.”
“I’m not being weird,” she lies, bouncing in her seat, ironically wearing a Nathan Thorn t-shirt.“I’m being appropriately excited.Now spill.”
I sigh, cheeks warming.
“Fine.It’s nothing.He’s just doing me a solid.For old time’s sake.”
“Uh-huh.”She peers at me over her glasses.“And you went and caught feelings again, didn’t you?”
“Ugh,” I groan, dropping my head into my hands.“I did, okay?I slept with him on our wedding night, and now he just—” I throw my hands up.“He dismisses me!Doesn’t even kiss me on the forehead!”
Larry’s mouth falls open.“He hasn’t touched you since?”
“No!Not once!”
“Have you tried lingerie?”
“What?No!”
“I see.Well then, have you told him?”she asks.
“Told him what?”
“That you’re in love with him,” she says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“What?I’m not—I couldn’t?—”
