Chapter 21

I can feel Raven’s gaze on me as I carry her into the living room, but I don’t know how to face her.

If not for me, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

I should’ve tried harder to convince Hannah.

I should’ve gone after her when I was told she’d left the country.

Instead, I sat back and watched our lives go up in flames, forcing Raven to pay the ultimate price.

“I need a drink,” I tell Raven the moment I put her down.

I turn away from her and walk toward my liquor cabinet, pouring myself a whiskey neat.

“Make that two,” she says as she sits down on the sofa.

Her hands tremble as she takes the glass from me, and I tear my gaze away, tossing my drink back before immediately refilling it.

For some reason, I can’t stop thinking about the way I kissed her today.

The way she kissed me back.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her as I sit down opposite her, keeping a safe distance between us.

She looks beautiful tonight in that wedding dress she was never supposed to wear.

“For what?”

I force myself to look her in the eye and take a deep breath.

She’s my wife now.

But what exactly does that mean for us?

“For kissing you.”

Raven leans back against the sofa and takes another sip of her drink.

“I would’ve been embarrassed if you hadn’t.”

She gives a faint shrug.

“Not many people knew about you and Hannah, and the few who did are tied to NDAs. Most of the guests assumed our marriage was real, and thankfully, we managed to make it look real too.”

I nod, unsure what to say.

Things have never been awkward between Raven and me.

We’ve always been comfortable around each other, even sitting together in silence.

But somehow, everything feels different now.

We both lost a lot today, and I’m starting to realize that, in some ways, maybe we lost each other too.

“We should probably talk about… us,” I say.

Raven tenses immediately, her spine straightening.

“Yes,” she says quietly. “We should.”

I run a hand through my hair and stare at the ceiling for a moment.

“I’m sorry it came to this, Raven. The thought of me being the reason you don’t get to live the life you envisioned for yourself… fuck.”

I close my eyes briefly.

“I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Ares.”

Her voice is soft but firm, and I sit up straighter to face her.

“This isn’t your fault. I admit I also didn’t think Hannah truly wouldn’t show up, but it’s done now. We’re married.”

Married.

Fuck.

This is a complete fucking shitshow.

How the fuck did I end up married to my fiancée’s younger sister?

What the fuck?

I take a calming breath before throwing back another sip of whiskey.

I need some fucking liquid courage for this conversation.

“Raven, I want you to know that I don’t expect anything from you. All I ask is that we make it look like we’re genuinely trying to make this marriage work.”

I pause briefly.

“At least in Grandma’s eyes.”

“In Grandma’s eyes,” she repeats, her gaze roaming over my face.

“What exactly does that mean?”

I loosen my bow tie and unbutton the top button of my shirt.

“It means we only have to fake it around her.”

I sigh slowly.

“As long as she believes we’re trying our best to make this marriage work, she’ll leave us alone.”

I drag a hand through my hair again.

“I’m the first of my siblings to get married, so I don’t fully know what to expect either, but I do know my grandmother.”

My expression darkens slightly.

“If she thinks we aren’t trying, she’ll start scheming, and trust me, we don’t want that.”

I force a faint smile.

“You only know the sweet old woman she pretends to be around you, but she’s difficult to deal with. I love her, but she can be a complete nightmare.”

Raven rises to her feet, looking like an absolute vision in her white wedding dress.

All day, I’ve tried not to stare at her, but it’s impossible.

She looks stunning, and the deep V neckline of her dress highlights her cleavage beautifully.

It feels wrong to look at her for too long, but I still struggle to tear my gaze away.

It’s strange knowing this beautiful woman is now my wife.

“So you want to pretend we’re trying to make our marriage work.”

She walks toward me and places one knee on the sofa between my legs before leaning down and resting her hands on my shoulders.

It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to let her realize how fucking mesmerized I am by her.

“What exactly are you planning to do in the meantime?”

Her eyes lock onto mine.

“Do you intend to fuck my sister while forcing me to fulfill the terms of this marriage?”

I tense immediately, stunned by both the question and the venom in her voice.

“Of course not,” I snap.

“What exactly do you think of me, Raven?”

She tightens her grip on my shoulders, anger flashing in her eyes.

I’ve never seen her look this furious before.

The Raven I used to know was always sweet and patient.

But the woman standing in front of me now is something entirely different.

“I don’t know, Ares.”

Her voice trembles with restrained anger.

“Because it sounds an awful lot like you’re asking me to pretend to be your wife for three years until you can divorce me and go back to my sister.”

She laughs bitterly.

“Convenient for the two of you, isn’t it?”

Her gaze sharpens.

“Hannah runs away so she doesn’t have to deal with the restrictions this marriage would place on her career, and meanwhile I’m trapped in this marriage while she continues focusing on acting.”

Her voice cracks slightly.

“Are you seriously asking me to sacrifice three years of my life for Hannah?”

For a moment, I simply stare at my wife.

She’s hurt.

Insecure.

Angry.

And honestly?

She has every right to be.

I’m not entirely sure what I was trying to ask of her, but I know I chose the wrong words.

I reach for her waist, making her flinch slightly.

“No,” I tell her immediately.

“No. I’m not going to sacrifice three years of your life, Raven.”

I take a deep breath, my mind a complete fucking mess.

“What I mean is that there are rules we need to follow, and pretending in front of Grandma will make things easier for both of us.”

I drag a hand through my hair again.

“I don’t know what this marriage is supposed to look like for us. I don’t even know where I stand with Hannah anymore.”

I let out a tired laugh.

“Right now, there’s a lot I simply don’t know, Rave.”

Raven nods slowly and steps away, her shoulders slumping.

Today has been brutal for both of us.

And at least for a while, things aren’t going to get easier.

“We don’t need to figure everything out tonight,” I tell her softly.

“We can take our time, alright?”

I force a faint smile.

“How about I show you around the house, and then we try to get some sleep?”

She nods, and I force another smile onto my face.

Raven and I have always been so comfortable around each other.

But now?

We’re both pretending we aren’t completely broken inside.

Everything about today is killing me.

She just became my wife…

And somehow, the distance between us has never felt greater.