Page 88 of Angels Are Falling

“I must’ve missed them when her hands were all over you.”

“Amelie. This wasn’t my call. I had no say over Ruby’s itinerary.”

“Of course you have a say. You’re the president of the magazine.”

“But it’s Ruby’s project. She added Beirut to the itinerary at the last minute. What was I supposed to do, not go because my wife is from here? Do you know how ridiculous that would have sounded?”

Amelie looked at me for a long moment. “You could have called me and asked me to join you. Or you could have told me the truth. I would’ve been upset, sure, but I would’ve understood. But you didn’t. You faced a difficult decision and picked the solution that was easiest for you.”

“That’s not fair, Am.”

“You want to talk fair? I’m strictly monogamous, you know that. Yet, I chose a lifestyle I was uncomfortable with for you. Because I always choose you even when it’s inconvenient. Can you say the same for yourself?”

I had nothing to say to that, because she was entirely right. The silence that followed was the loudest thing I had heard in years. The elevator felt small and unbearable.

“I’ve been a blind fool in love,” she said quietly. “And you took advantage of that. You’ve hurt me more than anyone in my life.”

The elevator doors opening was the only sound to interrupt the deafening silence. She walked out fast down the corridor toward the exit. I kept pace beside her.

The open door, the city outside, the street noise. All of it spoke clearly enough except for me. My breath was ragged, voice shaking. “Please, Amelie. Don’t leave like this. You’re here now. Why can’t we still see Beirut like you’ve always wanted?”

“I don’t want to see Beirut with you. In fact, I have nothing left to say to you at all.” There was a black car waiting for her at the curb. She must’ve called it when she used her phone.

I grabbed her hand. “Am, please. You know this wasn’t my choice. If I had one, I would have come here with you.”

“From where I am standing, you have always had a choice. You just didn’t choose me.”

Chapter

Twenty-Six

AMELIE

As I left Stefan behind, I tried to take a few deep breaths. The night air was warm, and I lingered outside rather than retreating into the cool of the car. Kai texted me, letting me know he was waiting for me inside the car, but I needed a moment.

Beirut. Stefan was in Beirut. With Ruby. It would have hurt less had I caught them in bed together.

Clearly, my priorities were misguided.

I supposed because I was sleeping with Kai, catching Stefan in bed with Ruby was no longer the worst thing imaginable. But taking her to Lebanon—which had been my dream, while it probably meant nothing to her—was a betrayal I couldn’t recover from. Ruby had taken great pleasure in rubbing it in my face, sauntering over with a condescending smile. Her audacity to pat Stefan on the shoulder possessively had sent the message loud and clear. He was oblivious and thought she was trying to help. I didn’t bother correcting his assumption. Why should I, when his believing her over me had become the norm?

I stood there and braced myself for tears. They didn’t come. The old me would have dropped to her knees by now. But what arrived instead was apathy. At first, I felt anger, but now, I felt nothing.

I climbed into the back seat of the car, pressed my spine against the backrest, and wished for a solid weight to anchor me. Kai’s arm came around my shoulders before the thought finished forming. He ordered our driver to take us to the hotel. As the car weaved through traffic, I felt him studying me. The partition screen slid up, and his arms around my shoulders tightened. I waited for the old reflex that usually followed. I generally froze at his possessiveness before I reluctantly gave in. It didn’t come. Instead, his arm felt warm and steady, and I was achingly aware of it.

I was cognizant of one other thing. Stefan happened to be in Lebanon the same day Kai flew me here. And he wasn’t alone. He was with Ruby. Nothing was ever this big a coincidence. Kai had ruined our magical day to expose Stefan’s lies.

“Don’t ever make a fool of me again,” I said stoically.

His face went slack, surprised by the lack of emotion in my voice. “Excuse me?”

I pressed my fingers to my sternum. “You knew Stefan and Ruby were at that bar.”

He didn’t bother lying. “Yes.”

“What did you do?”

“I asked Ruby to add Beirut to the itinerary.”