Page 157 of Temporary Vows

“I’m sorry. I was just…thinking.”

“I can tell. How about you just ask me what’s on your mind.”

My breathing slows, almost to a complete stop. “Ask you?”

He gives me a wordless acknowledgment, the pensive look in his eyes saying enough.

“I’m not sure how to frame the question. Or if I should.”

He sits straighter. “Alright, what did you think of the past? It would be odd if you didn’t blame me too for the loss of your family business.”

I shake my head. “I don’t blame you. I don’t think I ever did. Not the way Jack did. The business was going under. We weren’t your problem to deal with.”

“Yes, you were.” His answer surprises me. “You were like family to me.”

“But Jack hurt you. And he was dead wrong to do what he did.”

I expected something in his expression to change. But I’m surprised further when nothing happens.

“It’s understandable why you didn’t help after finding him with Catherine. She was your girlfriend for years.” I hate saying her name now more than ever. I hate it even more that she had him for so long and I’ve only had him for months—most of which didn’t really count. He also wanted to be with her right from the get-go.

Undoubtedly, he would have married her if things had been different. Whereas we started with a contract and a promise of no love. Sure, things are different now but it still happened.

“That’s not why I didn’t help.”

I blink at him and everything in me goes quiet. Whatever I expected him to say, it wasn't that. So now I’m compelled to ask the only question that naturally follows. “Why didn’t you help then?”

This whole time I believed his reason was because Jack and Catherine. That was what Jack told me.

“There were bigger reasons that stopped me from helping. Reasons outside my control.”

God, that changes everything. “Did Jack know?”

He nods once, then his gaze flits away for a brief moment. “There’s a lot about the past that people don’t understand.”

“What was it Dorian?”

He shakes his head. “Not here, Lamb. Not here. We’ll talk about it some other time. It’s not important now.”

His words hit me sideways and I’m even more eager to know the truth. “Now I’m desperate to know.”

He reaches out and brushes my cheek, his thumb lingering on my jaw. “When you look back on this trip, I want you to remember the good things. I don’t want you to remember anything that will spoil it for you.”

I melt at the sentiment, but my eagerness is still there, pushing me to press for him to tell me. “But I?—”

“I promise to tell you all about it one day.Soon.Can we agree on that?”

I gaze into his eyes, take in the softness there and nod. “Okay. We can agree on that.”

“Good.” He lets his hand fall to his lap and I look at the tattoo on his knuckles. “As for Catherine…” His voice trails off.

“I know. That part was still bad.”

“It was bad. But I wasn’t surprised.”

My brows knit. “So you knew what was going on?”

“No. I didn’t know. I just expected Catherine to cheat. I just didn’t know she would do it with my best friend. She cheated because she knew I couldn’t give her what she wanted.”