Chapter 41 Normal life
RORY POV
“Oh my God. You’re what?”
Ella whisper yelled across the small café table, her eyes looking at me like I had completely lost my mind.
“I’m married Ella,” I said carefully, mindful of my throat. “I got married few days ago.”
“That’s a lie,” she said immediately. “You’re lying to me right now. There is no way. The only man I ever knew around you was Steve and you could barely stand him by the end. You don’t even give men a second look.”
“I’m being completely serious,” I said. “Why do you think I’m wearing a dress like this? Why do you think those two security guards are standing over there?” I nodded toward the door where the two guards had taken up position at a respectful distance. “They work for my husband.”
Ella turned to look at them. Then back at me. Her mouth opened and closed.
“Hold on,” she said slowly. “Someone told me a man showed up at Lia’s party as your boyfriend. Tall, dark, looked like he owned the whole building—”
“Same person,” I said. “He wasn’t my husband then but he is now.”
I reached into my bag and fished out the ring. I held it up between us.
Ella stared at it.
“Woah,” she breathed. “Rory. This is insane. How did this happen?”
I put the ring back in my bag.
“I sort of got into a deal with him,” I said. “He needed a wife. I needed help with my mum. She’s in a private hospital now and she’s getting better. I couldn’t say no to that.”
It was so hard not being able to tell her the whole truth-the threats, the doppelgänger, the killings. But I needed a piece of my old life to stay intact.
Ella stared at me for a long moment.
"What's the catch? Is he a baby-breeder? Or is he gay and you're the perfect cover-up?" Ella asked, her brow furrowing with genuine concern.
I let out a small, dry laugh. I wish it were that simple. "No. Neither."
"Okay, fine.." Ella reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "Just know I'm here for you. We might not have been as close as you and Katherine, but l'm your friend, Rory. And I really have a lot of questions but I won't push you, but if anything happens... if you need anything... you tell me."
Gosh. This was what Alexander wanted me to throw away. He wanted me to believe I was nothing but a shadow, but Ella saw me.
I did have a life outside this sham of a marriage. I had always had one. He just didn’t care enough to see it.
I let go of her hand and hugged her instead.
“Thank you Ella,” I said against her shoulder, blinking back tears. “Thank you so much.”
“It’s okay cute potato,” she said.
I pulled back laughing despite everything.
“Can I visit you at your husband’s place sometime?” she asked. “Would that be okay?”
My body went slightly still.
God knows Alexander would never allow that. I could already picture his face at the suggestion.
“We’ll definitely hang out,” I said carefully. “I’ll figure something out.”
She nodded, understanding more than I had said.
“I’m just glad you’re doing better,” she said, squeezing my hand one more time. “That jerk didn’t deserve you.”
As if summoned by the mention of jerk, the bell above the door chimed. Steve walked in, looking like a man who hadn't slept in a week.
He stopped dead when he saw me, his eyes wide as they traveled from my styled hair down to my designer shoes.
"What the hell is he doing here?" | muttered.
Steve walked toward us, looking pitiful. The dark bags under his eyes made him look older, weaker.
Good for you.
"What are you doing? Stalking her now?" Ella sneered before he could even open his mouth.
"Hi, Rory," Steve said, ignoring her. "Can we talk? Please?"
I glanced at Luke. He didn't move, but his eyes were like lasers, locked onto Steve. I knew if Steve so much as raised his voice, those guards at the door would be on him in seconds. I bit my lip and stood up. "Fine. One minute."
“Rory you can’t—”
“It’s fine Ella,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”
Once we were outside on the sidewalk, the cool air hit my face. I folded my arms over my chest, feeling the expensive silk of my sleeves.
"What is it, Steve?"
"You look beautiful, Rory," he whispered.
A few weeks ago, that would have made me melt. Now, it just felt oily. "If you have nothing to say, l'm going back inside. I'd hate for my security to think I'm being bothered."
I turned to leave, but his hand shot out, grabbing my arm. I looked down at his fingers with pure disgust. He saw my expression and immediately let go, his eyes darting to the glass door where Luke was now standing, watching us with a cold, clinical boredom.
I’m sorry,” he said. “For everything. For how I treated you. For what I said on my wedding day. For all of it. You didn’t deserve any of that Rory.”
“No,” I agreed. “I didn’t.”
“You don’t have to stay with that man,” he said. “Whatever deal you made with him, you could leave, he's not a good person. Come back to me.”
I almost laughed.
“I’m married Steve,” I said. “Just because things went wrong between you and Katherine, doesn’t mean I’ll come running. It’s over between us. It was over the moment you broke up with me."
"I know! I'm sorry!" he said desperately.
"Katherine is cheating on me. With Caleb. I saw them together at the gym... they were...God, Rory, it was disgusting."
I wasn’t surprised. Caleb had been making remarks at me for years every time I rejected his advances, threatening to tell Steve things about me that weren’t true. The fact that he had been sleeping with Katherine the whole time was almost poetic.
“That’s not my business,” I said. “You of all people should understand what it feels like to be cheated on.”
His eyes flinched with guilt.
“I just needed someone to talk to,” he said quietly.
"You'll be fine, Steve. I got over it. You will too." I stepped closer, looking him dead in the eye.
"And stop showing up. My husband is not a very gentle man."
He let out a short laugh. The painful kind.
“Yeah,” he said. “I know. I heard what he did to your old boss.”
I winced at the memory.
“Good,” I said. “Take care of yourself.”
I reached out and slapped his chest lightly. Casual. Like addressing an old friend, a gesture that made him looked small.
I liked that it surprised him. I liked that he didn’t know what to do with a version of me that wasn’t desperate or waiting or holding on.
I walked back inside, feeling a strange surge of power. When I sat back down, Luke was already checking his watch.
"Time is up, ma'am," he said.
I said a quick goodbye to Ella and walked toward the SUVs. The whole way to the door I felt Steve’s eyes on my back.
I didn’t turn around.