Page 14 of Angels Are Falling

He told me everything then, and I couldn’t believe it. What had we gotten ourselves into? A bored tycoon decided to purchase a family on a whim. Had I heard anything more outrageous? I would have been insulted if it hadn’t been so comical.

Stefan was in no joking mood, though. While he spoke, he looked out over the dark stretch of towering houses around us rather than at me. Unease settled in my stomach at his despondency.

Something wasn’t right.

We should be laughing at the preposterous offer. Sure, it was appalling that a man wanted to buy his wife. But growing up, I was surrounded by eccentric moguls and was familiar with their peculiar impulses. A crazy man’s nonsensical spouting was nothing to be torn up over. Why was Stefan acting as if someone had died? This was no big tragedy because nothing would come of it other than a good laugh.

Unless he didn’t dismiss Kai’s proposal as lunacy.

“What did you say to his offer?” I asked apprehensively.

He turned to face me. In the moonlight, it was impossible to read his expression. “What do you think I said?”

I wanted to believe Stefan said, Hell, no. Perhaps he even flipped the table in rage over Kai’s boldness, though the room was in good order when we left. Stefan’s melancholy didn’t give me confidence in his response to Kai. “I can’t say for sure because of your long face.”

“I refused. Of course I said no.”

“But you have reservations about whether it was the right decision.”

He slanted his head in my direction. Wavy brown hair hung over his eyes. “Why would you say that?”

A sour taste filled my mouth. “Because if you were certain, you wouldn’t look so unhappy right now.”

He returned to looking out over the dark neighborhood. “I’m happy with my decision.”

I edged away from him. “No, you’re not. It’s written all over your face. And if you seem unhappy now, you must’ve seemed unhappy in front of him. He seemed like the kind of person who could sniff that out. You know it, too, and instead of shutting him down, you kept the door open to the possibility.”

He said nothing for a long while, then whispered, “A man approached me about becoming my wife’s second husband. He admitted to loving another woman in the past, but didn’t proposition her because I’m the one in a desperate enough situation to consider his filth. I feel worthless despite walking away.”

I relented with a sigh. Stefan wasn’t thickheaded like other men, and if I called him out, he would have no problem admitting to his flaws and insecurities. That was what I loved about him. “I’m sorry he did that,” I said softly. “None of those things he said about you are true. I just hate that I brought someone like him into our lives, and I’m glad it’s behind us.”

Whenever we had a difficult conversation, Stefan would rush to hug me afterward and make me feel better. This time, he continued staring into the abyss, looking anything but glad that it was over.

A hollowness settled inside me. “It is behind us, isn’t it?”

“I already told you that I refused him.”

The answer didn’t ease my heart, which was suddenly shaking. “That’s not what I asked. I asked whether it was behind us. Or are you tempted to call him and accept the offer?”

“Am… What are you doing?”

“Asking you the question you’re trying to dodge.”

“Leave it alone, Amelie.”

The hell? I wanted to storm off but settled for looking away from him instead. “Are you or are you not tempted to accept his offer?” My calm voice was meant to cover the fright behind it.

“I said, drop it, Amelie.”

“We both know that I won’t. You want something more extraordinary than our modest lives, and it’s time we talked about it. Because no matter how much you cherish our family, you can’t stop thinking about how the grass is greener.”

“And what’s wrong with wanting financial security?” He spoke with insinuation, fully aware that I had caught on. “It’s practical to want a sizeable savings account and to own a decent home.”

My heart was pounding. Before dinner, Stefan had told me he loved me more than anything in this world. Nothing could separate us. How quickly the tides had turned. Suddenly, practicality took precedence over his undying love. “We can still have those things. It might take us longer on the path we’re on, but I’ll love every moment of the journey as long as we are together. I need to know you feel the same way.”

He appeared somber. “I love you. You know that. But I do wonder how different our lives could’ve been. Don’t you?”

“Never,” I huffed. “Don’t you remember my life in high school? I came home to an empty house every day because my father didn’t have time for me. I used to scream just to see if anyone could hear me and confirm I was still alive. Loneliness makes you doubt your existence.” My lashes lifted toward his profile since he still refused to face me. “But then you came into my life and made me feel seen. I was in awe the first time you invited me over for dinner. Everything here was full of life and crying children. I was addicted to the chaos and never wanted to return to my quiet home. I chose this life, and I’m happy with my decision. If I had to do it all over again, I’d make the same choice.”