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Hale: Would you like to get in bed?

“Nope.” I pop the P. “I’m a married woman.”

He shakes his head. Smiles. I glower. He points at my phone. I missed the chirping, too caught up in my annoyance.

Hale: I meant so you would be more comfortable

Ah, okay. I climb onto the bed and slip under the cover. Hale brings a chair from the corner of the room and sets it on the side of the bed. He sits, and I swear the chair creaks under his weight.

“Can I ask a personal question?”

Hale: Sure

“Were you born mute?”

Hale: Accident when I was nineteen.

“What happened?”

Hale: Explosion

“I’m so sorry.”

Hale: Me too.

He glances away. His jaw is clenched. His hand is balled on his lap. Poor guy. To be robbed of the ability to speak and voice everything that’s inside him, it’s got to be hard. My phone chirps. I draw my gaze away from his handsome face and look down at my screen.

Hale: I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your husband is living it up at his favorite nightclub.

Another chirp and my phone fills with images upon images of Maddox. Hale is right. My husband is living it up all right. He’s got a drink in one hand, and his other arm is slung possessively on the small of Evie Lawson’s back.

Hale: Would you like to go clubbing? Surprise him?

I shake my head. “I can’t dance.”

He doesn’t send me a text, but I can read his mouth.

“Seriously, I have no coordination at all.”

Hale: Dancing is easy.

“Easy?” I scoff.

Hale: Put on your gloves and follow my lead

O-kay.

“Promise you won’t touch me?”

He makes an “X” over his heart.

“Cross your heart and hope to die. Nice.” I give him the thumbs-up sign. Chuckling, he rises from the chair, strides to the door, and opens it.

“Wait, you want to practice out there? All the guys will see my epic fail.”

My phone chirps.

Hale: I won’t let you fail, Blaise. I promise.