Chapter 159
LIVIA-
“You cannot have a girlfriend you’re proudly showing off to reporters and then tell me not to return Luca’s texts.” My voice filled the car. “At least Luca isn’t ashamed to be seen with me. At least he isn’t keeping me hidden from everyone.”
Roman’s hands flexed on the wheel. Pissed.
“You know I’m only keeping this private because of Ethan. I have no problem with showing you to the world.”
“Right,” I said. “Ethan. Always Ethan. Convenient Ethan.”
“That isn’t fair.”
“Neither was having to watch you claim Eden in front of all those reporters. You know how I feel about you. I have not hidden it from you. You’ve known from the start. Do you understand how much it hurt me to see you with her? If you can’t understand that, then we shouldn’t be having this conversation.”
We pulled up to the house just then. I could see that my father’s office lights were still on. He was most definitely waiting for me. I reached for the door.
It hurt that Roman hadn’t said anything in response. He was quiet. Probably deciding to just let me go.
Just as I was about to leave, he grabbed my wrist before I could storm off.
Not hard. Strong enough that I felt it everywhere.
“Eden isn’t my real girlfriend.”
I paused. Did I just hear him correctly?
I stared at him. The engine made a noise in response. “How is that possible?”
“It’s a PR relationship.” He said like he wasn’t proud of it. “My parents set it up. I’m under contract. I had no choice.”
No choice.
I stayed with that for a second and felt something worse than when I first saw the interview.
I frowned. “If you knew this all along, why did you take so long to tell me?”
His other hand tightened on the steering wheel.
I figured it out before he said it.
He had not told me because he wanted the fake relationship to do the work for him. To keep me away. He felt like it would work in his favor.
He thought I would stop asking. A reason I would stop hoping. He had walked her into my kitchen. Onto
TWU Mon, Sep 21 JIMU
The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
my lawn. He had let her touch him in front of me. He had let me sit in sweats with ice cream while she smiled like she owned him, and he had known the whole time that she did not. It was never about her. It
s always about keeping me away. A safe distance. One where he didn’t ruin his friendship with my brother.
I whispered it.
“You did it so I would stay away from you.”
Roman looked guilty. He didn’t look like a man who didn’t know what I was talking about.
That was enough of an answer.
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