Page 17 of Shattered Oaths

The thumping of hooves hitting the floor drags my attention over to the training paddock where Grayson is leading a horse in a slow trot.

“Hey, Gray,” I call out, attempting a wave.

He dips his head in acknowledgement. “Hey, Bells. Need some help?”

I shake my head. “Nah, I’m good, thank you.”

He nods at me before shooting his fiancé a wink. “Love you, blue.”

Liv blushes. “Love you, too.”

My insides soften as I watch the look of pure love pass between the two of them before it’s quickly replaced with envy. I shouldn’t be envious of them. They deserve this type of love. I just wish I had that.

Liv would never have to question Grayson’s loyalty. In fact, none of my friends would ever doubt their partners love.

I’ve tried not to question my relationship over the years. I’ve watched everyone I’m close to fall in love, get engaged or in Daisy’s case – married, and have children. So naturally, I’ve felt like Justin and I were moving a lot slower than everyone else, but everyone is different. Every relationship is different. I had to remind myself that justbecause Justin hadn’t asked me to marry him it didn’t mean that he loved me any less.

Or so I thought.

I drag my eyes away from the love birds and focus my attention on the swaddled newborn in Liv’s arms. With tired eyes he blinks up at me, sucking on the fist he has wedged into his mouth.

“Come on. Let’s get inside and you can get your snuggles in,” Liv says, turning on her heel and leading the way into the house.

I follow her into the open plan living room/kitchen area and deposit the baby hamper on the kitchen island. As soon as my arms are free, I move to the sink and wash my hands, not wasting a second before snatching my nephew out of his mama’s arms and cradling him against me.

“Hello, little man,” I coo softly, stroking a finger over his dark curls.

“We’ve missed you, Bells,” Liv says gently, placing a can of soda on the table in front of me.

“I know.” I sigh. “I’m sorry.”

Taking a seat on the couch opposite me, she levels me with a worried look. “Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

God, where do I start?

I quickly mull over everything I want to say, but when I open my mouth, my carefully planned speech goes out the window. “I think Justin is cheating on me. He’s been coming home late every day. He told me he was working late, which I believed because he’s about to take over the business, but then I decided to surprise him for lunch and walked in on his receptionist bent over his desk and he was practically caressing her ass. Last night he got home at almost midnight, smelling of stale whiskey and wentstraight to the shower so, yeah... pretty sure he’s sleeping with the short-skirt wearing whore. Can’t say I’m surprised really, considering his dad done the same thing. I just feel so stupid, you know? How have I not noticed? This has been going on forweeks-”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Liv says, interrupting my rant with her eyes pinched shut and a hand in the air. I snap my mouth shut. “Let me just get this straight. Justin was caressing his receptionist’s arse while she was bent over his desk, and you walked in on it? And now he’s coming home late, smelling of alcohol and he’sshoweringtoo?”

“He wasn’tactuallycaressing her ass, but his hand was pretty damn close. And I wouldn’t say she wasbent overthe desk; I was probably exaggerating a little there. More like leaning over a little more than needed.”

Liv shakes her head. “Doesn’t matter. It’s inappropriate.”

“That’s what I thought.” My shoulders drop in relief that I’m not the only one who thinks so. Justin couldn’t see my issue with the situation and made me feel so crazy that I began to question if I was overreacting about the entire thing.

“Hmm,” Liv hums, leaning back in her seat and looking off in thought and then as if something has just come to her, she sits forward again, her eyes boring into me. “Is this why you haven’t been coming around?”

I lower my eyes, focusing on the now sleeping baby in my arms, not a care in the world. “Not exactly.”

“Then why, Bells?”

Again, I find myself debating on how much I should tell her.

Just tell her everything,my subconscious screams at me.

But telling her everything means spilling the secret I’ve kept to hidden for eight years.

I look into her sky-blue eyes, so full of concern as she searches my face and I decide right here that if there’s anyone I can trust with this, it’s Liv.