Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
She shrugs. “I mean, it’s crazy that he was forced to marry you... all so him and his brothers could save Snow Valley. Are we back in the old days or what? I mean, it’s crazy, right? But at least he said there’s an out. You two won’t be stuck together forever.”
I start to panic. Is that what he’s telling people? That once he figures out a way to save Snow Valley, he’s going to divorce me? My breath comes quickly and shallow. My hand that’s not holding the bag clenches in a fist at my side. I feel flushed, nauseous, and on edge. When Jessica realizes that her words have bothered me, her smile gets even bigger. With a trembling hand, I hold up the bag of food. “I brought Mason dinner.”
She walks across the room. She’s slender with short hair and she has a hip look about her in her holey jeans and tight T-shirt. She looks to be my exact opposite. She grabs the bag from my hand. “Thanks. I’ll make sure he gets it. He’s in the middle of a tattoo, and he hates being disturbed.”
I nod and turn to leave. I don’t tell her bye or nice to meet her because I don’t want to lie to her.
I hightail it back over to the safety of our house. As soon as I walk in the door, I fall back against it and let the tears fall. I had so many hopes for this marriage before I even met Mason. After meeting him, it was like all my dreams were coming true. How could I have been so wrong?
Chapter 10
Mason
I only worked around five hours. I went in later in the afternoon and worked into the evening, but I swear it felt like the longest shift of my life. All I could think about was Mia. I wondered what she was doing and if she was okay. I almost called her a few times to see if she wanted to come and sit for awhile, but I figured she probably needed a little space. We’d been with each other for more than a few days.
I walk through the front door of the house, and the lights are already out. I walk up the stairs and into the bedroom, letting out a breath when I see her lying on the bed. I had panicked for just a minute, wondering if she’d left or something.
I sit down on the chair facing the bed and start pulling my shoes off. I can’t take my eyes off her, and I watch her body move with each breath she takes. I know she’s awake, but she’s acting like she’s not.
“Mia,” I say softly into the dark room that is only lit by the moonlight peeking in through the window.
She doesn’t open her eyes. “Yes?”
“Are you awake?” I ask her dumbly.
“Yes. I’m awake,” she says. Her voice is thick, and something sounds off.
“Why didn’t you wait for me when you brought food? I would have liked to show you around.”
She doesn’t answer me, but she does sniff. I move the angle from where I’m sitting, and I take in her puffy lips and the wet spot on the pillow she’s lying on. I crouch down on the floor next to her. “Mia, honey, look at me.”
She opens her eyes but doesn’t say a word. She’s been crying. There’s so much pain in her face, I can feel my heart cracking. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
She sits up and moves backwards on the bed. She’s putting distance between us, and I don’t like it. I rise from the floor and sit on the bed, my hip next to her legs. She’s watching me but not saying anything. That’s not Mia. Not the Mia I know, anyway. I put my hand on her leg and ignore the way it tenses under my palm. “What’s going on?”
She clenches her eyes shut. She starts talking, soft and low. “I think we made a mistake, Mason. I think this happened too fast.”
There’s a sudden heaviness on my chest. A part of me knew this was too good to be true. After only a few days, she’s ready to divorce me. My head starts to pound, and my heart starts to ache. “What do you mean we made a mistake?”
She finally opens her eyes. Her voice is saying one thing, but her eyes are telling me something else. She looks like she’s going to be physically ill. “I thought about it, and maybe it would be better if I go back home.”
“This is your home.” I enunciate each word. It’s the truth. This is her home now. Without her in it, it’s nothing but a house.
She shakes her head. “It’s fine. I’ll be okay. And we can stay married... I know how important Snow Valley is to you.”