Chapter 6
Paul froze for a second, then the tips of his ears flushed red.
“Well… we are legally married now. It only makes sense for us to live together, right?”
He gave a sheepish grin. “Even if I know you’re just trying to avoid Luciano, I’m still… really
happy.”
I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes.
Even after more than twenty years of knowing each other, growing up side by side, practically woven into each other’s lives, this shift, from friendship to something more, made everything
feel awkward and unfamiliar.
When we got to Paul’s place, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Sit? Stand? Hide under the
couch?
I’d been here before, countless times. But never like this.
Paul was clearly nervous too. His face was red as an apple.
“Uh… how about you take the shower first? I’ll go after you.”
“Okay.”
I slipped into the bathroom, took a deep breath, and gave myself a pep talk.
We’re married now. It’s legal. We’re adults. There’s no reason to feel weird.
After I finally gathered myself and stepped out, I waited for him in the bedroom.
Then, after his shower… Well. One thing led to another, and what should happen between a husband and wife… happened.
And let me tell you: I had seriously underestimated Paul Anderson.
The guy wasn’t just handsome. He had the kind of body that made you stare longer than polite society allows.
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And the man was a force. Let’s just say he outperformed Luciano in ways I didn’t even know
mattered.
I was… very satisfied.
The next morning, after breakfast, Paul drove me to Chicago to look at villas. We toured a
brand-new development, and it was perfect.
We were about to sign the contract when a voice shouted from behind.
“Trista! I finally found you!”
Luciano came running up to me, looking frantic.
“I went back to the apartment last night and saw you’d taken everything. Even the $3 million
engagement ring-I saw you returned it. I tried calling to apologize but your number’s
disconnected. I went to your place and no one was there.”
“Then someone said they spotted you in Chicago, so I rushed over.”
He stepped closer, breathless. “Trista, I thought about everything last night. You were right to
be mad really. I should’ve handled the wedding better. You have every right to be upset.”
“But come on… we’re married. Couples fight. That doesn’t mean we give up. I’m here to
apologize. I’m planning a new wedding for you-just the way you want it. I’ll make it up to you,
I swear.”
I gave him a slow, amused smile. “Luciano, do you seriously still think I’m just throwing a
tantrum?”
“We’re over. I’ve moved on. I have a new home now, a new family. Please don’t bother me
again.”
“Don’t be like that, Trista. We’ve been together for eight years. You don’t actually think you can walk away that easily, do you?”
“Oh, I know I can.”
“You thought I’d stick around no matter how many times you hurt me just because we have
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history? Well, newsflash: I’m not that pathetic.”
“I’m not some lovesick fool who clings to someone who cheats. I was loyal to you because you were mine. But the second you betrayed me, that loyalty vanished.”
“I didn’t cheat! Darlene just stood in for you. That was your ceremony.”
“Really?” I pulled out my phone and opened the wedding video. “Was this part of the stand-in
service?”
The footage showed Luciano and Darlene kissing on stage. The camera zoomed in. Their lips lingered, and even pulled away with a string of spit.
Luciano’s expression twisted in panic. “It-it was just for show!”
“Show? You call that a camera angle?”
He stammered, “It was the moment! I got caught up. The emotions… the atmosphere…”
“Luciano, I don’t care about your excuses. I’m not interested. My husband and I are buying a
house right now, so if you don’t mind…”
“Husband?” he scoffed. “You mean Paul Anderson? Your buddy?”
“You’ve known him over twenty years and nothing happened, and now you expect me to
believe you married him overnight?”
I slipped my arm through Paul’s with a bright smile.
“Yep. That’s exactly what happened. Problem?”
Luciano let out a bitter laugh. “No one’s gonna believe that. Come on.”
I turned to Paul. “Sweetheart, did we bring the marriage license? Show it to him, would you?”
