Page 235 of Accidental Husband

I want it to be enough, but that look of disappointment in his eyes…

How can I believe it's enough?

Chapter Fifty-Four

Griffin

My phone buzzes with texts from friends. Mostly, people tell me what an idiot I am for letting Jules walk away.

I can't really argue—she's the best thing that ever happened to me—so I do the next best thing.

I turn my cell off. Seek distraction in a cheesy action movie. It's one of Wes's favorites. I've seen it a million times. But the familiarity fails to comfort.

Dinner doesn't help. A drink doesn't help. Staring at the framed posters on the walls doesn't help.

I want her here.

I want her to explain this.

I want every thought in her fucking head.

If she won't give them to me—

I can't make Jules trust me. I can't make her love me. I can't make her want this.

She's been there forever. Been mine forever. But she was mine in a different way.

Yeah, we fought sometimes. We drove each other crazy. We stopped talking for weeks, or screamed until we got kicked out of IHOP, or cursed each other's names.

But I always knew she'd be back. That we'd get over it. That I'd climb into her room, wrap my arms around her, whisper apologies in her ear.

This is different. This is a forever fight. The kind of thing that ends a relationship.

I can stomach losing her as a wife, as awful as that is. But losing my best friend?

Fuck that.

There's no comfort—or clarity—in my shower, or my sketchbook, or another mindless action movie.

A guy with a gun mumbles something about how he's going to take out the bad guys. He sprays them with bullets, laughing as their blood hits the walls.

Footsteps move closer.

Someone knocks on the door.

Shit. That's my door.

Maybe it's her. Maybe she figured it out. Realized she's madly in love with me. That she wants to stay my wife.

I suck a deep breath through my teeth. Exhale slowly. "Jules?"

"Afraid not." Chase's paternal voice booms. It's his usual tone.I know best, and it's not this. Quite frankly, I'm not sure how you've managed to live to see twenty-three. You need my help. Thank God I'm here to provide it. "You gonna open up?"

"Yeah." I let him inside.

His eyes move around the room. "I like what you did with the place."

"Suits me, right?"