Chapter 32

I glance at the clock and frown.

It’s nearly ten at night, but Raven still isn’t home.

This is the third day in a row she’s worked this late, and I’m worried.

She’s overworking herself.

Every morning, she uses our home gym and leaves the house carrying nothing but one of those disgusting-looking green smoothies.

Then she spends the entire day juggling modeling jobs before heading to her office and working there for several more hours.

She works too hard.

She barely eats.

And she definitely doesn’t get enough sleep either.

This isn’t sustainable.

But I have no idea how to convince her to take better care of herself.

Part of me is also worried that I made her uncomfortable when I kissed her.

Maybe that’s why she’s been coming home so late.

She seemed into it at the time, but I know how her mind works.

She’s probably spent the last few days overthinking everything and feeling guilty when she absolutely shouldn’t.

My phone rings, and I instantly smile, expecting it to be Raven.

She’s started calling me during her drive home, and somehow it’s become one of my favorite parts of the day.

But it isn’t her.

I stare at the screen for a moment, uncertain whether I should answer.

Eventually, I pick up.

“Ares?”

“Hannah.”

“God, I miss you so much.”

Her voice softens immediately.

“I just… why have you been declining my calls?”

She exhales shakily.

“I know you’re angry with me, Ares. I understand that. I really fucked up this time, and I know I hurt you, but please don’t ignore me like this.”

Her voice cracks.

“You know I can’t handle it when you do that.”

I lean back against our brand-new sofa and sigh.

“Has it ever occurred to you that my needs might be different from yours?”

I run a hand through my hair.

“Yeah, Han, I know you hate being ignored, but what I need more than anything right now is space.”

She goes silent for a moment.

“Ares, I…”

Confusion fills her voice.

“What’s gotten into you?”

She inhales sharply.

“You’ve never treated me like this before.”

Her tone softens again.

“I really am sorry, honey. I swear I didn’t know they’d make Raven do this.”

She sounds genuinely distressed.

“I never meant to drag us into this insane situation.”

Her voice cracks again.

“Do you really think I wanted you to marry my sister?”

She pauses.

“Do you have any idea how upset I am that she let it happen at all?”

I clench my jaw hard.

“It isn’t her fault.”

My voice sharpens immediately.

“You don’t get to blame her for choices you made.”

“Ares!”

Frustration flashes through her tone.

“None of this would’ve happened if she’d just stayed away.”

She scoffs softly.

“I honestly don’t know what she was thinking.”

Her voice hardens.

“I suppose it’s Mom and Dad’s company she’s after.”

The front door opens, and I immediately look up.

Raven walks into the living room with a soft smile on her face.

The second I see her, guilt crashes through me.

“Look, I need to go.”

I stand immediately.

“I’ll talk to you later.”

Raven frowns slightly when I end the call before Hannah can even say goodbye.

A second later, Hannah calls back.

I immediately decline it.

And somehow, despite doing nothing wrong, guilt still eats at me.

All I did was speak to Hannah.

Yet somehow I feel like I cheated on my wife.

“Who was that?” Raven asks quietly.

I hesitate.

“Hannah.”

Raven stares at me for a long moment before huffing softly and shaking her head.

Her jaw tightens as she walks past me toward our bedroom.

“It wasn’t anything,” I tell her quickly while following after her.

“I told her we could stay friends, but I’d been ignoring her messages, so she called me.”

Raven pauses and glances over her shoulder.

“Friends,” she repeats mockingly before rolling her eyes.

“Rave,” I plead softly.

She shakes her head again and disappears into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Fuck.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

I’m not even sure I actually did anything wrong.

Things between Raven and me have finally been going well, and somehow I still managed to fuck it up.

I knew answering Hannah’s call would end badly for me.

I know exactly what Hannah wants from me.

And I know I can’t give it to her.

The worst part?

I don’t even want to.

But Raven could never believe that after spending years watching me love her sister.

I sit down on the bed we picked out together and drag a hand through my hair, trying to think of a way to make this right.

I promised her loyalty when we got married.

I need her to know I would never betray her.

The bathroom door finally opens.

Raven walks out wearing nothing but a towel and freezes when she sees me sitting on the bed.

Anger flashes through her eyes.

I hold my hand out hesitantly.

“Come here, Rave.”

She narrows her eyes at me but eventually walks over anyway, stopping between my spread legs.

I grab her hand gently and place my phone into it.

“Check.”

I hold her gaze steadily.

“I haven’t replied to any of her messages.”

I gesture toward the phone.

“Check my call history. Today was the first time I answered one of her calls.”

“You think I won’t?” she snaps.

I smile faintly.

“Baby, I handed you my phone because I want you to check.”

My voice softens.

“This isn’t me playing games with you.”

I brush my thumb over her wrist.

“This is me giving you the honesty you asked for.”

She stares down at my phone.

For a brief second, pure agony flashes across her face.

Then she hands it back to me without looking.

“Never mind,” she whispers softly.

“I don’t need to see any of it.”

I stare at her for a moment before speaking carefully.

“You asked for honesty, didn’t you?”

I hold her gaze.

“Then give me one moment of honesty too.”

I tilt my head slightly.

“I want to know why you looked at my phone like that.”

Raven sighs softly.

“Do you remember the day Grandma baked cookies and you filmed Sierra and me fighting over them?”

I nod instantly.

My cock twitches involuntarily at the memory.

She’d climbed into my lap trying to snatch my phone away from me, and I’d pinned her against the wall for a few seconds while laughing.

I still remember exactly how she felt pressed against me.

“When I deleted that video,” she says quietly, “I accidentally saw the last photo you’d taken.”

Her gaze lowers.

“It was a picture of Hannah in your bed.”

Pain flashes through her expression.

“I don’t want to go through your phone because I don’t want to see things like that.”

I wrap my hands around her waist immediately and look up at her pleadingly.

“Grace,” I remind her softly.

“Will you give me some grace?”

She looks startled.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Ares.”

Her voice weakens.

“I’m not angry at you.”

She looks away briefly.

“I’m mostly angry at myself.”

I tighten my hold on her and shake my head firmly.

“No, baby.”

I pull her closer.

“You’re my wife.”

My jaw tightens.

“It doesn’t matter how or why we got married. What matters is that we’re married now.”

I hold her gaze steadily.

“And trust me, I’d be furious if you were talking to an ex the way Hannah talks to me.”

I exhale slowly.

“So yeah… I did do something wrong.”

My voice hardens slightly.

“If it’s behavior I wouldn’t accept from you, then it’s not behavior I should expect you to tolerate from me either.”

I brush my thumb over her hip soothingly.

“You and I will need to decide what role Hannah is going to have in our lives.”

I pause briefly.

“But we don’t need to figure that out tonight.”

I offer her a small smile.

“How about we both think about it first?”

My gaze softens.

“Then once you’ve figured out your boundaries regarding Hannah and me, you tell me.”

I squeeze her waist gently.

“Whatever you decide, I’ll respect it.”

She stares at me in disbelief.

“What if I decide I never want you speaking to her again?”

I smile softly at her.

“Then I won’t.”

I brush a strand of hair away from her face.

“You’re my wife, Raven.”

My voice turns firm.

“I will always choose you over everyone and everything else.”

I hold her gaze.

“Always.”

She presses her lips together and nods slowly, cautious hope filling her eyes.

What she doesn’t realize is that she could ask me for the moon…

And I’d kill myself trying to hand it to her.

Because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.