Page 108 of An Inevitable Marriage

Snow didn’t know everything. What would she do if I laid it all out in front of her?

I was fucking terrified to find out.

Laughter spilled in from the kitchen, shortly followed by the two women. Snow sat beside me, and my gaze immediately went to her. She was happy. Genuinely happy. Her eyes sparkled, and the smile hadn’t left her lips once that evening.

I wanted that feeling for her forever.

Her hand found my own under the table. She slipped her fingers between mine and squeezed.

I squeezed right back. “Ready to go home?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zach had pulled his wife onto his lap. Whispering something in her ear, he brushed her hair off her shoulder.

The tightness behind my rib cage intensified.

“I’m ready when you are,” Snow said softly.

We said our goodbyes and made the trip home in silence. My mind was a spinning, churning mess. I had to tell her the truth. All of it. Every ugly detail. I just had to pray she’d still look at me the same when I was done.

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Snow said the moment I closed the front door behind me. “Wanna talk about it?”

My frame shook with the deep drag of air I tried to push into my lungs.

“I want to talk, but at the same time, I’m scared shitless the things I have to say might chase you away.”

Her gaze locked on to mine, and shit, the concern already burning bright in those eyes nearly crippled me. Closing the distance between us, I wound my fingers through hers and brought her hands to my mouth.

I kissed her knuckles one by one, then leaned in to press my lips against hers.

I wasn’t sure she’d still let me do this once she knew the truth, so I selfishly took my time, kissing her the way I’d wanted to do for far longer than just tonight.

“Liam,” she breathed. “You’re freaking me out.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” I rested my forehead against hers and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to move, didn’t want to lose the moment.

Snow must’ve sensed it because she let me stand like that until I was finally ready to take her hand and lead her to my office.

Somehow, having the conversation in a room we hadn’t both been in at the same time made it feel a little less daunting. Or maybe it was just that I didn’t want this moment to spoil any of the others we’d had around the house.

We took a seat on the long leather couch against the wall. Snow sat with her body angled to me, her hands resting in her lap. There was enough space between us to fit two people easily, and as much as I fucking hated it, I understood it was necessary, too.

Silence stretched for a few more seconds. My leg, tingly and restless, did that bouncing thing. Behind my rib cage, my heart thrashed around like a wild beast. How did I do this?

Where the hell did I even start?

“Liam, whatever you want to tell me can wait until it’s ready to be told.” She was silent until I met her gaze. “Ican wait.”

I shook my head almost immediately. Of course this woman would say that. She meant it, too. She’d absolutely wait until I was one-hundred-percent ready to share my ugly truth.

A truth she deserved to know whether I wanted to tell it or not.

“You’ve seen the tattoo on my ribs.” I trailed my fingers over the spot where the ink swirled over my skin.

Snow nodded.

“It means I struggle and emerge, and the date beneath it is the day my mother died.”

Her big green eyes went wide, but she didn’t say anything. I appreciated that. It allowed me to say my piece at my own pace.