Page 52 of Ashes

I wasn’t one to let frustration take control of my emotions, but he was justinfuriating. I had complied with this marriage, moved in with him, and agreed to his stupid rules and that’s how he acted.

He whipped around. “My problem?”

“Yes, your problem? I had nothing to do with this,” I said, gesturing back and forth between us. “Youmade me marry you. I’ve been nothing but nice and you just…” I frowned and huffed, imitating him.

He coughed up a laugh.

“This isn’t funny, I’m serious,” I said sternly, but he peered at me like I was joking.

He cocked his head to the side. “It’s a little bit funny if you think that’s what I look like.”

“Well, it is.”

He surprised me by letting out an actual laugh. It was short-lived, but it was now ingrained in my brain. I wanted to stay mad, but hearing him laugh for the first time was a sight to see. His eyes wrinkled on the sides and a dimple popped in one of his cheeks.

Rain trickled over my head and I schooled my features back to an irritated expression. “Let’s just go inside.”

“After you,wife.”

I frowned. “Don’t call me that,” I replied, brushing past him.

Once we were inside, he disappeared into his office without another word and I walked over to the kitchen, my stomach growling from the fact that I hadn’t eaten since lunch and it was almost 9:00 p.m.

After eating leftovers from last night, I went to bed feeling unsettled. The word wife and the way he’d said it on a constant loop in my head.

CHAPTER 13

SIENNA

I wokeup still thinking about him and I hated myself for it.

I shouldn’t be feeling anything for him except hatred and yet…

Shaking off these absurd feelings, I got out of bed and stepped under a cold shower, hoping it would knock some sense into me.

It didn’t work.

Stepping out of the shower, I walked into the closet through the door that connected both rooms and grabbed clothes. Walking back inside my bedroom, I briefly glanced at the clock. It was almost 4:45 a.m., which meant I still had a little time before I had to leave.

It was criminal to be up this early, but after being down a car, I needed to leave the house earlier than I usually would if I wanted to be on time for my shift.

I packed my workbag and changed into my oversized gray Matrix Motorsports sweater, pairing it with loose black cargo pants.

Then I tiptoed down the stairs to avoid waking Jamal and quickly stopped in the kitchen to grab a granola bar for breakfast. It was almost 5:00 a.m. by the time I stepped out of the house and started walking toward the bus stop.

The sun was rising and a slight ocean breeze brushed over me. I wrapped my arms around my body and cursed myself for not wearing a jacket. I usually didn’t have to since I was in the confines of my car, but I didn’t think of checking the weather before rushing out of the house.

I pulled my phone out of my cargos and checked the time: 5:15 a.m. I only had eight more minutes before the bus would be there and the stop still seemed so far away from where I was.

I picked up my pace, praying I would reach it in time. Arriving late to a shift as a resident wasn’t a good look. I had a stellar record, so I wasn’t about to start tainting it now.

Sweat slicked my forehead and my breathing was coming out quicker when I heard the sound of an engine.

Fuck.

“Sienna.”

The deep, rich voice of my husband brushed against my skin and stopped me in my tracks.