Page 9 of Score Her Heart

KATIE: Tell me!!!

I snorted at that. You would think that since I was supposed to have married Katie’s brother, she would have been completely against me marrying someone else. Not Katie; she had been so cool about everything. I glanced at the plain silver band around my finger. Katie had sprung into action, going out to get rings for us while we got the license done. I was kind of glad she got something really simple because I was never one for flashy anyway.

I saw that Riley had texted too.

RILEY: Hey, I didn’t want to wake you, so I’m gonna go work out.

RILEY: I can see you making fun of me.

I laughed at that; he was right. He drank as much as me, but he was going to go work out. Ugh, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Those muscles did not create themselves.

I glanced at the time on my phone and was surprised that it was already noon. I must have been feeling really shitty when I woke up earlier and we showered together. Or rather, I stood there under the water while Riley washed me because I was too tired. That had been rather loving and intimate, and I was too hungover to even think about the implications.

I debated crawling back into the bed and going back to sleep for the rest of the day, but I didn’t think that was going to help any. I didn’t want to answer anyone either until I talked to Riley and discussed what we were going to do next. I slid my phone in my back pocket and walked out of the bedroom into the adjoining living area and kitchen. Before I did anything else, I really needed a coffee. I smiled when I saw a pot was already made. That was kind of sweet of him.

I was settling down with a cup and my writing journal when I heard the door click open. Riley must have swiped my room card from off the bedside table this morning. He came into the kitchen in workout gear and carrying his suitcase. I eyed it suspiciously but said nothing. His face was red, and his blond hair was dripping with sweat.

“Morning,” he greeted when he crossed the living room floor. He planted a long kiss on my lips, which surprised me so much that I froze. He pulled away with a cautious look when I didn’t return the kiss. “Here,” he said and handed me a coconut water. “For your hangover.”

I took it in thanks and started sipping it down.

“Are you okay?” he asked and cocked an eyebrow at me.

I shook my head. “No. I think we should talk.”

His brow furrowed. “Okay…”

I took a sip of my coffee and sighed deeply. How do you tell the husband you just married, who was also your best friend in the entire world, that you thought marrying him was a mistake?

“Um, listen…” I stared into my coffee cup. “I think maybe we should get an annulment.”

“What?” he asked, but it wasn’t really a question. I glanced up at him, and I wish I hadn’t. He had gone slack-jawed, and his face had this look of hurt on it. It made me feel awful.

I turned away and put a hand on my face. “I think maybe getting married was a rash decision. For both of us. I mean, you’re the king of hookups; you don’t want to be tied down.”

He settled into the chair beside me and took my hands in his. I couldn’t help but notice that we were both still wearing our wedding rings. “Fiona, when I married you, it wasn’t for show. I think this could really work between us. Why don’t we stick it out and see how it goes?”

“See how it goes? Look, it was very sweet of you to do this for me, but you’ll get bored of me,” I urged.

His eyes softened, and his big hands cupped my face. “How can you say that? You’re my best friend. We know everything about each other, we get along great, and we definitely have great sex. So why not try this?”

“You really want to stick this out with me? You want to try being married to me, for real?” I asked, but I wasn’t really believing what he was saying. Why would he want that? To be tethered to his best friend and the girl he lost his virginity to? What man wanted that?

“Look,” he started and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, “my life is complicated. I’m on and off the road for hockey half the year. It’s hard to maintain a relationship, but I think we could be good together. I mean, last night was good for you too, right?”

I bit my lip but nodded. I don’t think he even knew the half of it.

Sex with Eric hadn’t been the best lately. Honestly, it felt more like a chore, if anything, and on more than a few occasions, I didn’t get any pleasure out of it. Nor did he ever give in to any of my desires, which really weren’t that weird! It’s not like I was asking to tie him up or for him to tie me up. I liked sex a little bit rough, and I could only come from behind, but he never was a fan of the doggy-style position. He claimed he hated not being able to see my face, which I thought was sweet at the time, but now I felt like it was bullshit. It should have been a sign to me that something was off, especially when I realized we hadn’t had sex in three months and neither of us had noticed.

Last night with Riley...he had been so considerate and generous. I mean, he even ate me out! I can’t remember the last time that happened. I was wracking my brain to remember if Eric ever had done it in the five years we had been together.

Riley’s eyes searched my face. “When was the last time you had sex?”

I balked. “That’s kind of personal.”

He glared at me. “Fiona, I’m your husband now. Nothing’s too personal.”

I groaned. “Three months.”