Page 143 of The Bad Husband

I laugh.

“I’m not going to sit only because you’ve said so.”

“Sit and listen to me, you silly girl. I know this man better than you do. I’m doing you a favor. You two might only have a fling right now, or so you’d like to believe, but this is way more important to him than you imagine.”

She's got my attention.

“What do you mean?’

She’s pointing to my seat and takes a sip.

“Sit for crying out loud.”

I lower myself on the edge of my chair.

“Has he told you why he married me?”

Her eyes dive deep into mine, searching for answers.

“He only said he’d never been in love.”

A cold, sarcastic smile arches her lips as she looks away.

If I didn’t know her, I could swear she was a smoker. Maybe she was in the past. If she were, she’d probably take a drag and blow out smoke just about now, pondering her next words.

“At least he was truthful with you.”

“How come, though?” I ask.

She shifts her focus to me.

“How come he didn’t fall for you?” I go on, falling back in my seat, with my mouth slightly open. “And what about all those stories from before?”

“What stories from before?” she asks with a lifted eyebrow.

“You two had quite a stormy relationship.”

“Who told you that?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

A cunning smile tugs at her lips.

“Why can’t you tell me? Did he say anything to you?”

“No, he didn’t. It was…”

“Yes?”

I say nothing.

She throws her head back and studies me with an amused expression on her face.

“Tell me what you’ve heard, at least.”

I suck in a short breath.

“I heard that the two of you were jealous of other people. That your relationship was rocky. It must have been some deep feelings that had fueled that.”