My Dark Romeo: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance(115)
Franklin Townsend
What?
A decade after the night had begun, the sun finally cracked through the silver sky, pale and reluctant.
The store opened. People rushed in.
It took me fifteen excruciating minutes to make it to the register.
The prepubescent cashier opened the book, leafing through it while he rang me up. “Can’t wait to see how Henry handles The Duke of Hollowfield, huh?”
I yanked my card from my wallet. “Mind the spine before I break yours.”
He gaped at me, almost fumbling the hardback in his rush to close it. “Bag?”
“Give it to me. I don’t trust you not to wrinkle the book any further.” I tucked it inside the bag and wrapped it tight.
As Jared wove through tree-lined streets, passing mammoth mansions, manicured lawns, and lavish holiday decorations, I couldn’t help but feel a little unsteady about my newly acquired Christmas gift for Dallas.
Originally, I’d purchased a spa weekend in Tennessee for her to enjoy with Franklin, but this seemed so much more significant.
I would not call the unsettling rush coursing through me giddiness, but I was definitely not unhappy in this moment.
When I reached the house, it was still early enough that Vernon hadn’t arrived. A sleepy-eyed Hettie stumbled into the kitchen, retrieving the pastry dough she prepared each night for Dallas’s breakfasts.
I stopped by the island, clutching the book in a death grip as though it was in danger of being stolen by the furniture. “Is Dallas in her room?”
“She was asleep when I came in, but Frankie said her fever went down.”
“How’s she feeling?”
Hettie yawned, collecting her pink-tipped hair into a high ponytail. “Good enough to reject every brand of cough syrup we’ve given her.”
“Why?”
“Says they taste bad.”
“It’s medicine. It’s not supposed to taste good.”
“It’s pretty bad. The label says it’s grape, but it smells like pickles and spam.” Her nose scrunched. “Between Vernon, her family, and several of the staff, we checked every pharmacy in the DMV for pills. Sold out. The pharmacist says there’s a nasty bug going around.”
“I’ll take care of it.” I snatched the offending bottle from the counter. “Are her sister and mother with her?”
“Frankie, yeah. Natasha went to sleep in a guest room. Guess she felt like she could take a break because Dal’s feeling better.”
I took the stairs two at a time.
With each step I climbed, my spirits lifted.
The lilt of Shortbread’s sweet, bell-like voice filled the corridor. Quiet, but unmistakably her.
Why did it take me until today to realize I enjoyed her voice? Her sound? Her general existence?
Maybe because it marked the one thing that wasn’t complete silence that my ears cherished.
When I reached her door, I raised my fist, intending to knock. I couldn’t wait to show her the book.
Childish pride filled me. I supposed this was what kids felt when they did something they knew would grant them their parents’ approval.
I wouldn’t know.
My parents rarely paid attention to my existence.
“…can’t believe you didn’t tell me you two were having S-E-X.” Franklin abbreviated the last word, whisper-shouting in excitement.
A chuckle lodged in my throat.
I wasn’t one to eavesdrop, but staying back for a few moments to hear Dallas’s response wouldn’t enter the list of top ten-thousand worst things I’d done in my life.
“How’s the sex?” Franklin demanded.
“It’s okay, I guess.” Dallas coughed, still weak. “I’m not suffering.”
Understatement of the generation, sweetheart.
“Does that mean that you like him?” Frankie gasped, holding her breath.
For an odd reason, I did the same.
There was no pause, no hesitation, in Dallas’s response.
“My Lord, Frankie. Of course not. I told you, he is the human answer to a potassium-chloride injection. That didn’t change one bit.”
It hit like a punch straight into my stomach.
So much so that I staggered back a step.
What did you expect? For her to fall in love with you after you forced her hand in marriage and spent months berating her?
“Then, why are you having S-E-X with him?”
Why, indeed?
“Because he’s never going to release me from his arrangement. I might as well get some fun out of it, right?” Shortbread sniffed. “Plus, I really want a baby. You know I’ve always wanted a big family, Frankie. Just because I don’t like my husband doesn’t mean I cannot raise a family I love. In fact, the sooner I get pregnant, the sooner I can return to Chapel Falls. He won’t want me around him when I’m pregnant, anyway. He hates children.”
I didn’t hate children.
Okay, I did.
Only recently—the last few days, to be precise—had I begun to think it wouldn’t be so terrible if Dallas and I had a child. Particularly if that child inherited her exploring hazel eyes and endearing laughter.
Except now I’d come to discover the only reason my wife had been riding me like I was her favorite roller coaster was because she wanted to flee to Chapel Falls.