The Wrong Bride (The Windsors, #1)(36)

He looks away and nods sharply. “Understood,” he simply says. I look up in surprise to find him smiling at me reassuringly, as though he can read the fears I try so hard to hide.

“Let’s get ready,” he tells me. “She’ll want to speak to both of us, I’m sure. I’ll leave you to use our ensuite bathroom, and I’ll head over to the bathroom in our gym.”

I nod and slip out of bed, a thousand different worries running through my mind. I don’t want to see them together. Somehow, I’ve been existing in this fictional world that Hannah isn’t part of. I’ve been convincing myself that I could outrun her, and that I’d get away with taking her place.

I knew I couldn’t run forever.

I’m surprised to find Ares sitting on his bed when I walk out of the dressing room, a towel pressed to his wet hair. I thought he’d have gone to speak to Hannah in private, yet here he is, waiting for me.

“Ready?” he asks as he stands up.

I shake my head. “No,” I admit. I know what my sister is like. She’s always been a talented actress, and not even I can withstand her skills. I’m scared that my resolve will crumble once I come eye to eye with her.

Ares smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “It’ll be okay. Let’s go.”

I nod and follow him into the living room, where Hannah is waiting. She jumps up from her seat and rushes up to Ares, throwing herself into his arms. He hugs her tightly, his eyes falling closed as pure torment takes over his expression. It’s obvious how much he’s missed her, and I’ve never felt more like an intruder than I do at this moment.

“Tell me it isn’t true,” she begs, her voice shaking.

“I’m sorry, Hannah.” He sounds as hurt as she does, and it kills me to know I’m all that’s standing between them now.

She pushes away from him as a tear drops down her cheek and glances at me. “Raven, this is some kind of sick joke, right? Please tell me it is.” She laughs humorlessly, the sound carrying a hint of desperation.

I shake my head, remorse washing over me. She loves him. Hannah might be selfish, but her love for Ares has always been one of the most beautiful things about her.

“How could you marry my fiancé?” she asks in disbelief. “How could you possibly agree to marry someone who will never love you? Why would you do this to me, Raven? If you’d just walked away, they’d have postponed the wedding and they wouldn’t have been able to blame Ares for it.”

“Hannah,” I say, my tone defensive. “I called you over a hundred times. I sent you text messages, left you voice notes, and I even emailed you. I tried to contact you in every single way I could think of, but you chose to ignore my messages. I told you that Dad threatened to pull all funding for my company if I didn’t walk down that aisle, and you still didn’t show up. You were willing to risk your future, but that doesn’t mean I was willing to risk mine.”

She looks between us, her eyes filled with tears. “Ares,” she says, her voice shaky. “How could you? She’s my sister, for God’s sake. This…” She looks between us, insecurity flashing through her eyes. “You two… are you…”

“No,” Ares says instantly. “Never. I’ve never loved anyone but you, Hannah. I never will. How could I possibly want someone other than you?”

My heart twists painfully, but I force myself to keep my expression blank. Part of me is terrified that it’s true, and no matter what I do, he’ll never love me. A larger part of me knows that I’ll always regret it if I don’t try.

“Where does this leave us, Ares? What about us?”

Ares looks at me, but I’m not sure how to answer her question, either. If anything, I’m waiting for his answer as much as she is.

“You know how I feel about marriage, Hannah. You chose to walk away from this, from us.”

She looks at him in disbelief. “You only have to remain married for three years, right?”

He hesitates for a moment, but then he nods.

“I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you, Ares.”

I take in his expression, the spark of hope that lights up his whole face. It hurts. It kills me that he so desperately wants to be with her, even now.

“Three years will fly by,” she says, her tone desperate. “I’ll focus on my career for the next three years, and once you two get a divorce, I’ll retire and marry you. I see it now, Ares. I don’t need my career as much as I need you. I’d never have walked away if I thought they’d make you marry Raven.”

She turns to me then, her eyes filled with sorrow. “I’m so sorry, Rave. This… it’s all my fault. Having to marry your brother-in-law… I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you. I know it’s too late for apologies, but I truly am sorry. I’ll set this right, I swear. I know three years seems like a lot, but you’ll walk away with Mom and Dad’s company.”

Brother-in-law. Part of me wants to snap at her and tell her that he’s my husband now, and her brother-in-law, but I don’t have it in me to hurt her that way. Instead, I nod, unsure how to respond. I might be Ares’s wife, but I have no rights to him. Standing here in front of my sister, the woman he loves and wants to spend his life with… I can’t hurt her any more than she’s already hurting.