Page 39 of Best Kept Vows

“Sebastian, meet my colleagues, Luna and Aurora.” Her tone carried a quiet dignity that unsettled me deeply. “This is my husband, Sebastian.”

I nodded in greeting, and they responded stiffly.

“I’ll see you at home in a couple of hours,” Lia said softly. Her voice cut through me more painfully than if she’dscreamed. I watched her go inside with Luna and Aurora, feeling completely helpless.

Jane’s eyes followed me, but I ignored her, she was on her fucking own.

I went inside and asked the server to bring the tab to our table, my eyes seeking my wife, who seemed to have disappeared. Had they gone to another place? Were they in a private room? Where?

I wanted to text her, but I didn’t. She said she’d see me at home, and I’d just have to suck it up and wait for that.

“Where’s Jane?” Stacey asked.

I gritted my teeth. “She wasn’t feeling well. She had to leave.”

Stacey nodded and then looked at me, concern clear in her eyes. “All okay?”

I shook my head. “We’ll talk on Monday. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she agreed.

“So, Sebastian, I hear you’re going to sign a deal with Carter Industries?” Theo asked.

I put my game face on and answered him. After an hour of torture, I managed to close down the evening and head home.

CHAPTER 15

Ophelia

Seeing Jane with Sebastian was a wake-up call. Our marriage was not in a good place—and Jane was a reminder of that. We’d been playing happy couple the past few weeks—but it wasn’treal, couldn’t be unless we dealt with our feelings, the true ones.

I didn’t want to bring my drama to my new job or my new boss, but neither Luna nor Aurora was having it.

They were so young, I thought, and Aurora’s marriage was new—they wouldn’t understand my long-term, married old-lady problems, I thought, but I was wrong. They did.

“I’m assuming you’re upset because you sawthatwoman withyourhusband?” Luna asked after we ordered martinis all around.

I smiled uneasily. “She’s just a coworker of his.”

“And I’m the Queen of England,” Aurora quipped.

“Come on, Lia, dish,” Luna demanded.

“I…look, this is my personal business and…I don’t want to drag it into work.”

They both looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Gabe, that’s my husband, got me to work on a hotel of his after we broke up,” Aurora told me. “Trust me, that was crossing all kinds of personal and professional lines.”

“I must say that I don’t do that…cross lines,” Luna stated with feigned mockery.

“Please.” Aurora waved a hand, dismissing her. “She recorded my step-daughter, who was being a brat, and showed it to Gabe, which was why he came back groveling, wanting to be with me. And she’smyboss, too.”

“Don’t use that termeveragain,” Luna protested. “Or I will have to go bossy on your ass.”

I laughed at that, but it turned into a sob.

“Oh fuck.” Luna put an arm around me. “God! Is your husband cheating on you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. No…I know he’s not. But that woman wants him and….” I trailed off when the server returned with our drinks.