Something broke in his face then and the guilt almost consumed me. His jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists. “You really think I married you just to stop you leaving?”
I swallowed, guilt slamming further into me even as the words echoed in the air. But I couldn’t take them back. Didn’t know if I wanted to.
Heavy silence stretched between us, until he shoved his hands through his hair and turned away. “Fuck this,” he muttered, storming toward the door, grabbing his jacket and keys from the hook on his way.
“Tyler—”
The slam of it shutting behind him made me jump.
And just like that, I was alone in the kitchen, staring at the empty space where he’d been. My chest heaved, hot tears burning at the back of my eyes.
I wanted to chase him, to take it back, to fix it. But I couldn’t, not when part of me still wasn’t sure if I was wrong.
Not when the fear sitting in my chest wasn’t just about him. It was about me, too.
I didn’t even remember grabbing my coat, just the slam of the door still ringing in my ears as I flagged down a cab. Myhands shook the whole way across the city, my brain spinning so fast I couldn’t hold a single thought steady.
By the time I buzzed Gwen’s door in Richmond, I was seconds from crumbling.
She opened the door in leggings and an oversized jumper, hair piled in a messy bun, a wine glass already in her hand. Her brows shot up. “Jesus, O. You look like you’ve been chewed up and spat out.”
I tried to laugh, but it cracked halfway. “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” She pulled me into her arms warmly before ushering me inside. The living room was dim, the only light from the lamp and the flicker of whatever Netflix show she’d abandoned. She gave Tom a quick nod over my shoulder—make yourself scarce, love.
With a knowing nod, he rose to his feet. “I’ll just check on Lola.”
As he disappeared down the hall, Gwen turned back to me, her expression soft but expectant.
“Right,” she said. “From the top.”
I sank onto the sofa, hugging a cushion to my chest, words tumbling clumsily before I could stop them. I told her everything. Danny being impossible, Emma crying in pain in my office, Tyler’s stupid offhand comment, the fight, the slam of the door. Even as I spoke, a quieter voice in the back of my head whispered that I’d reacted first and thought second. Again.
But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Every insecurity I hadn’t meant to say out loud poured out of me in one breathless rush.
God. Had I gone too far?
When I finally stopped, my throat was raw, Gwen just watched me for a long moment. Then she sat back, took a sip of her wine, and gave me that sharp, assessing look that always made me feel both understood and slightly scolded.
“Okay,” she said at last. “First of all you’re not wrong to be overwhelmed. You’ve got three full clients and only one of them pays properly. No wonder you’re frayed.”
I huffed, sinking deeper into the cushion.
“But,” she went on, pointing at me with her wine glass, “I think you’re overthinking the Tyler part.”
My head snapped up. “Overthinking?”
“Yes.” She leaned forward, eyes steady. “Do I think he’s hot-headed? Absolutely. Do I think he says stupid shit when he’s wound tight? Without question. But Orla, there is no universe where that man doesn’t love you. You know it, I know it, the whole bloody world knows it.”
I swallowed hard, heat pricking at the corners of my eyes again.
She softened, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “Look, I’ve watched you both. He’s not with you because he’s scared to be alone. He’s with you because you’re it for him. Full stop. The Vegas wedding? Mental—yes. But that wasn’t desperation, it was him knowing, down to his bones, that he didn’t want to waste another second without you. Don’t twist it into something it’s not.”
I pressed my lips together, torn between relief and guilt. “But what if I’mnotenough for him? What if one day he realises he made a mistake?”
“Orla.” Gwen’s voice cut sharp, firm. “He’s Tyler Reed. If he was going to bolt, he would’ve done it the second you told him no. Instead, he never gave up on you, he put a ring on your finger, bought a bloody house, and tells anyone who’ll listen that you’re his wife. You’re not going anywhere, and neither is he. Stop looking for cracks that aren’t there.”
My breath shook as it left my lungs, and I slumped back against the cushions. For the first time all night, the knot in my chest eased, just a little.
