Page 132 of Pretender

“That must be nice. To be so certain. What is her opinion of this place?”

“I’ve not told her, of course.”

“Yes, good. We trust our clients to keep this, even from their partners. I’m sure a man of your stature is used to that part of a relationship.”

“Of course.”

‘That part of a relationship.’

Keeping secrets. I keep too many secrets, and I’m done now.

“I’m so happy for her, that she’s found her forever in you too,” Ms Knight says, nudging her pen towards me.

My breath catches, and I blink at her, trying to inhale properly, but I’m too tense.

I am Linnea’s forever. She’ll understand once I tell her everything.

Hopefully.

But it churns in my gut now. She’s been through so much with Henry. He lied to her about her company, he cheated on her, he made her feel it was all her fault. I’m not blind to how she shrinks herself sometimes, before she straightens back up. He shook her confidence. And here I am, hiding so many things from her. And she knows I am, which fucking makes me ache to my core. She’s sitting at home right now, wondering where I am. Wondering what Chase was talking about. Wondering why I don’t talk about my dad. Fuck, what if I’m as bad for her as Henry was? Aiden, the two-faced man, just like his father.

Maybe assuming I’m the right man for Linnea is just me being selfish.

Ms Knight clears her throat and I shake myself back. She gives me a close-lipped smile, pushing the papers closer to me.

“When you’re ready, you can sign.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

a what?

LINNEA

I have no clue how long I stand here outside this dark door, but it’s getting colder. What is he doing in there?

Fuck, I’m pathetic. I should go.

The door opens and Aiden comes out. He stops when he sees me, clutching the brown suede jacket I remember from the brunch at Amara’s. He wasn’t wearing that this evening, though.

He closes the door behind him without taking his eyes off me. They’re wider than I’ve ever seen on him. What did I just catch him in?

“Aiden, what is this place?” I ask, my voice small.

He stands still. Frozen. His eyes darting between mine, growing wider.

What feels like a whole minute passes.

“It’s a sex club,” he says finally, his voice strained.

My lungs constrict. I can’t have heard right.

“A what?”

“It’s not what you think, I came here tonight to resign my membership.”

I blink, processing what he just said.

Then, I open my mouth without making a sound, not sure how I want to respond.