Page 7 of Yours, Forever

"I'm here for my wife."

Chapter 4

Eva

Ale gasped.

A flutter of images of a chapel and us laughing invaded my mind. Gravity warped around me; I had to grab the counter to keep myself standing. I dropped my head and took a broken deep breath.

Our hands splayed on the counter close together. Neither of us had rings.

He must have guessed where my gaze had landed. "We need to get rings a.s.a.p. I was looking at this copper and black band for myself—"

"You're… married?!" Ale's voice came out half-way to a screech.

Mutterings traveled among my patrons, confusion and alarm in the sound. I couldn't speak, but I lifted my eyes to stare at my husband.

What the fuck had I gotten myself into?

"Are you all right?" Max straightened and put his hands back in his pockets. A concerned frown wrinkled his brow. "Good thing I came close to the end of business. I have a feeling you might need to sit and take a minute. Can I take you to an office or…"

I couldn't stop staring at him. When I failed to answer his question, he turned to Ale.

"Can we help her? What can we do?" he asked.

Ale gazed around the shop. "Okay, friends. Let's close early, shall we?"

She sprinted around the counter and herded people out. Words were shared, but I couldn't make out what they said. I did a full one-eighty, gave my back to Max, and sat on the floor. I needed to hide for a moment.

"Fuck," Max whispered.

I covered my face with both hands. The sound of steps alerted me of his presence next to me; Ale talked to my customers by the door, words still indistinct, but far from us. I opened my eyes and stared at my lap.

His polished, expensive-looking shoes filled the corner of my field of vision. Somehow I knew he hesitated, but he finally sat down next to me, our backs to the counter. "Breathe. Are you dizzy? Put your head on your knees if you can…"

"I'm okay." I dropped my head back instead and stared at the ceiling. "What did we do?"

"We got married, honey."

I glared at him. "Don't call me honey."

"Sure, darling."

I groaned and closed my eyes again.

"Are you okay?" Ale's voice reached me from somewhere past Max. "Everyone's out. We're alone. I put the closed sign up."

"Can I get some water?" I asked.

My hands shook, but I drowned the glass Ale offered me a moment later.

I dried my mouth with the back of my hand. "I don't even know where to begin. We're married?"

"Yes. Don't you remember anything?"

"Calling me your wife may have brought a few memories to the surface, but not really. Not enough."

I gave him my eyes again. He gazed at me softly, like he regretted the havoc he'd brought to my evening.