Page 124 of Vexatious Queen

Ren refused to look at me, so I dropped my lips to her ear and groaned.

“I’ll beg for forgiveness if you want,” I whispered. “I’ll even get on my knees, put your leg over my shoulder, and apologize properly,” I said, kissing a line along her jaw to her lips.

She shivered, and a blush flushed her cheeks.

“The room is not the only reason why I’m upset with you,” she said, and now I was at a loss.

“What did I do,” I asked, peppering her face with soft kisses.

“It’s what you didn’t do.”

Confusion filled me as I slowly stepped back and let Ren go.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She walked over to the table, picked up a folded piece of paper, and handed it to me.

Fuck.

I didn’t need to read the letter to know exactly what it said. I’d memorized it the day it arrived in the mail. The dream I’d worked so hard for had come true, and I was finally getting my shot at a national team. But I couldn’t go.

“Why didn’t you tell me you made a team, and more importantly, why haven’t you responded? Don’t tell me you have. I know you haven’t because there’s a training schedule in the envelope and you’ve missed all of them so far.”

Crumpling up the letter, I tossed it into the garbage can.

“That was a pipedream. I’m over it.”

Ren grabbed my arm before I could walk away.

“Nash, stop. Talk to me.”

“There is nothing to talk about. I can’t go, end of discussion. You know I don’t do all that mushy share my feelings shit,” I said, turning to leave, but Ren refused to let go.

“What do you mean you can’t go,” she asked, stepping in my way.

I ran my hand down my face.

“Ren, please just let it go. I’m not in the mood to get into this.”

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t in the mood to spend my night cleaning and sterilizing our room, but here we are. Talk to me, because you know I’m not letting this go,” she said.

“Can I distract you with sex instead?” I teased, grabbing her hips, but she crossed her arms, not taking the bait. “God,” I growled, marching away and suddenly feeling very caged. “You’re killing me, Princess.”

“Nash, I hate to remind you of this, but you chose to marry me. You had to realize what that meant. I am not the type to just let things go. I’m not going to let you hide what you’re thinking and feeling. And I’m certainly not going to let you keep things from me just because you don’t want to talk about them.”

She walked over to the garbage and pulled out the letter.

“Talk to me. You keep forgetting that you and me are a unit now, and that means I have to learn to live with things I don’t like. There is a long ass list, but you being a slob is near the top. And you need to do the same. Sharing and being honest is what you must learn to do for us to work.”

She was right, but that didn’t mean I liked it. I crossed my arms, wishing for just once she wouldn’t be so damn observant and insistent, but that was Ren.

“Our lives are just not set up for me to compete full-time. You saw the schedule, how am I supposed to fit all that in? Not to mention traveling to competitions all over the country, and then, internationally, the closer we get to Worlds.”

Filled with frustration, I stomped in a circle as every obstacle danced inside my mind like a wedding train you didn’t want to join.

“First, there is you. You said it yourself. We’re married now. That means I can’t just disappear for weeks on end, and I don’t want to. As soon as I graduate, I need to be at Collier Enterprises daily. Edmundo is doing the heavy lifting right now, but that will end. I have two other businesses, plus the council to appease. No matter how much I’ve already done to increase profits, they won’t be happy with an absent leader or stagnant bank accounts,” I said, so worked up I was panting.

“How am I supposed to fit in what Coach Richards is demanding? It’s just not possible, and I’ve dealt with the disappointment and moved on. That’s why I didn’t tell you. I wasn’t hiding the letter. It was just something that I had to work through on my own, and I have. Are you happy now?”