But neither was wanting it this much.
And for the first time in a long time, I’m not calculating outcomes.
I’m just standing in it.
Married.
And hoping I’m brave enough to deserve her.
Chapter seven
Natalie
“This is fine,” I whisper into the dark.
It's absolutely not fine.
The silence is loud. Heavy. Pressing in on me like the house knows something I don’t.
This room smells faintly like fresh paint and unused linens. Neutral. Temporary. Not mine. I’ve walked through this house a dozen times to babysit, to tuck Maddie in, to rinse cereal bowls in the sink before heading home. But I’ve never closed a bedroom door here and known I wasn’t leaving.
Tonight there is a ring on my finger.
And a husband down the hall.
I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling.
Married.
The word feels heavier at night.
The house shifts. A pipe ticks. The refrigerator hums. Somewhere downstairs, Daisy lets out a soft huff in her sleep.
I close my eyes.
They pop back open.
This is ridiculous.
I am a grown woman. I run meetings. I negotiate contracts. I have stared down Mason in a bad mood.
And yet I can’t fall asleep because Gabriel Shelly is twenty feet away and technically mine.
I press my palm over my eyes.
We said we wouldn’t rush anything.
He meant it.
I meant it.
Which somehow makes this worse.
A soft scratch hits my door.
I freeze.
Scratch. Scratch.
