Chapter 131
Chapter 131
VENUS
The hospital discharge papers felt too light for the weight they carried.
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Two weeks. That’s how long I’d been here, existing in a place that smelled like antiseptic and false hope, the air too clean to be real. My body had healed enough to pass whatever checklist they had, but my head? That was another story.
The nightmares still came, clawing at me the moment my eyes closed. The smell of damp earth, Gerald’s voice in my ear, the sound of soil sliding over wood. My therapist told me it would take time, that I had to let myself heal instead of trying to “push through it.” Easy for her to say, she hadn’t been buried alive by a man who claimed to love her.
Still, I was walking out of here. Weak, yes. Shaken, definitely. But walking.
Aaron had insisted on helping me pack what little I’d brought in-mostly the clothes Gianna and Sabine had brought after I was admitted. He was methodical about it, folding things with an efficiency that would’ve made a drill sergeant proud.
And he’d been here. Every day. Every night. Never missing a single morning or evening.
I leaned against the edge of the bed, watching him as he moved around the room like it was his job to dismantle my life one piece at a time.
“Why haven’t you gone to work p>
He didn’t look up from the small stack of clothes he was folding. “I’ve been busy p>
“Busy doing what? Because I haven’t heard you make a single work call since I woke up p>
That earned me a quick glance-sharp and assessing-before he went back to tucking the sleeves of a shirt in just so.
I crossed my arms, ignoring the little twinge in my ribs from moving too fast. “Is it because of me p>
Aaron didn’t answer immediately, which was answer enough.
I huffed out a laugh, the humor as bitter as black coffee. “You don’t have to do this, you know I’m not. I’m not that important to you that you’d just drop everything p>
That made him still.
I didn’t know where the urge came from but I was bitter and hurt and felt the need to hurt someone too.
So they could relate.
So they could feel my pain.
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Chapter 131
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I pressed on, because apparently I liked poking at sleeping dragons. “I mean, I know why you married me, Aaron. It was a contract. It was business. You don’t have to keep pretending this is anything more than that. I’d understand p>
The shirt in his hands hit the bed, and then he turned toward me fully.
“Don’t.” His voice was low, dangerous.
I blinked. “Don’t what p>
“Don’t say things like that p>
Something inside me curled tighter, coiling around my heart. “Why not p>
His jaw worked, like he was fighting himself. Then he crossed the space between us in two long strides, stopping close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him.
“Because I’m in love with you, Venus p>
The words hit harder than Gerald’s shove into that box ever had.
I froze. My brain sputtered. “You-what p>
“I’m in love with you.” His gaze was unflinching, the raw truth in his eyes enough to make me want to look away. “I realized it after you went to London. I tried to ignore it. Tried to convince myself it was just… habit. Responsibility. But when you disappeared-when I thought I’d never see you again-it nearly killed me p>
My chest tightened. “No, you’re not p>
His brows drew together. “Excuse me p>
“You’re not in love with me,” I said, my voice sharper now. “If you were, you would’ve believed me when I told you I didn’t leak the contract p>
That landed. I saw it in the way his face shifted-like I’d just shoved a knife between his ribs.
“It was my copy,” I continued, my voice shaking now. “I know your suspicion was justified. Hell, I’d probably have thought the same in your position. But you didn’t believe me. And I’m not stupid enough to think you
can call that love p>
His hand flexed at his side, like he wanted to reach for me but knew I’d pull back. “Venus p>
“No. Don’t try to dress it up as something noble now.” The words were spilling faster than I could catch them, my chest heaving. “I’m not blaming you. I’m not. But you don’t get to tell me you love me when the first time it mattered-when I needed you to trust me-you didn’t p>
For a beat, all I could hear was my own breathing, ragged and too loud.
Then Aaron’s voice cut through, softer than I expected. “You’re right”
That made me look at him.
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Chapter 131
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t try to excuse himself. “You’re right,” he said again. “I should have believed you. I should have trusted you without hesitation. But I didn’t. And that was the single worst mistake of my life p>
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His gaze locked with mine, steady and unyielding. “I was wrong. I was an idiot. And I’ll regret it for the rest of my life p>
Something in my throat burned.
“You don’t have to regret it-” I started, but he cut me off.
“Yes, I do.” He stepped closer, until I had to tilt my chin up to keep looking at him. “Because you’re the only person who’s ever made me want more than a deal, more than a contract, more than control. And I threw that trust away when you needed it most p>
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me right now,” he went on. “Hell, I’m not even asking you to believe me. I’m telling you that I love you. And whether you believe it or not doesn’t change the fact that it’s the truth p>
The room felt too small for the two of us, like his words had sucked all the oxygen out of the air.
Part of me wanted to believe him so badly it hurt. Another part wanted to wrap that hurt up in steel and keep it safe from him.
But when I looked at him-really looked at him-I didn’t see the man who’d doubted me. I saw the one who’d slept in an uncomfortable chair for days, whose hand had been on my thigh even in sleep, who’d carried me out of hell without once letting go.
And that was the problem.
Because loving him back was terrifying.
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Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.