That would work.
“We’ve been married for five years,” he says, and I hear the same emptiness in his words that I can see in his eyes. “Fuck!” He shoves his fingers through his hair as he snaps, and I sense the fury punching through his body. I’m guessing those five years haven’t been the happiest five years for him.
“So you’re still together?” I hold my breath waiting for his reply.
“No. Yes… No, not really. Shit, Callie, it’s so fucking complicated.”
My patience is wearing thin. I don’t understand what he’s trying to tell me. A person is either married, or they’re not. My frustration turns me a little snarky. “I’m sure that’s the line every married man uses, Luke.”
He takes a step as if to enter my apartment and when I don’t move to let him through, he pauses and asks, “Can I come in so I can try to explain this fucked-up situation to you?”
“So long as your explanation involves more than ‘it’s complicated’.”
His lips pinch together. “It will.”
I step aside and usher him in.
A moment later, he blows my mind with his revelation.
“Two years ago, my wife was sent to jail for murder. More specifically for the murder of her own mother. I did everything to fight the charges. Hired her the best lawyer money could buy, had a private investigator look into it. No stone was left unturned, and yet, she was found guilty. I’ve spent the last two years trying to fight the conviction. It’s been hell, but I’ve clung to her innocence. Everything I’ve done has been geared towards proving that.” He stops talking and begins pacing while holding the back of his neck.
I’m stunned into silence. Never in a million years did I expect that.
He stops moving and turns to me. His nostrils flare, and his eyes fill with anger. “But she’s not fucking innocent,” he says, stunning me even further.
“How do you know that?”
“We found new evidence proving it was her.”
My mind swims with more confusion. “Okay, back it up, and tell me everything. I’m not really grasping all this.”
“Yeah, that’s two of us.” Defeat snakes its way through his words. “I only discovered Jolene’s lies six months ago when we discovered the new evidence, and I’m still trying to piece it all together.”
I frown. “Why would she kill her own mother?”
“I have no idea.” His anger is extreme, and I don’t blame him. I’d be gutted if I discovered my spouse had done what she has.
I try to process what he’s said, but I struggle. “This is the kind of stuff you just don’t think happens in real life. Like, it happens in the movies and books, but not to people you know.” I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s been going through all this time. He’s never shared anything about his past with us.
We grow silent, each consumed with our own thoughts. I have a million questions but don’t want to bombard him. Sharing this information is clearly a big step for him, and I know he’s not a huge talker, so I decide to wait for him to share more without prompting.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you the other night,” he finally says, blowing out a long, frustrated breath.
I want him to take those words back.
Surely he felt what I felt in that kiss?
My heart hurts even asking my next question. I’m not sure I want to know the answer, but I need to know it. “Did it mean nothing to you?”
His body stills, and he blinks. “Fuck, it meant everything to me, Callie. I’ve wanted to kiss you for months.” My hope soars. He feels the same way as me.
I move to where he stands and place my hand on his arm. His body tenses and I hate that. “Why shouldn’t you have kissed me, then? If we both want this, why can’t we have it?”
He pulls his arm away from my hand. “Because I’m married, and my head is all fucked-up over it. I don’t want to bring you into that. You deserve so much more.”
My brows pull together. “Are you getting a divorce now that you know the truth?”
He doesn’t answer me straight away, and my heart dives into the disappointment I know I’m going to feel when he answers me. “It’s complicated.” His voice is ragged, torn.
“I’m getting really fucking sick of that word!” I throw at him as my anger builds.
His hand flicks out and grabs mine, and he yanks me to him. Our bodies press hard against each other, and the sounds of our heavy breathing fill the room.
Every nerve ending of mine tingles as our eyes lock.
My lips part, ready.
Hoping.
“You’ve got no fucking idea how much I want you. How much I want to kiss you again and spend every hour of every day either with you or thinking about you. My marital status is complicated, but what I feel for you isn’t. You stole my attention a long time ago, you just never realised it.” The honesty in his voice threads itself through my heart.