While I Was His Wife

Valerie's pov

He didn't say anything but there was a flash of emotion moving so quickly past those eyes that I couldn't read them then they finally settled on concern.

“Val, maybe you need to lay back down.. perhaps one of your medications…”I grabbed his arm as far as my fingers could reach across those rippling muscles.

“Adrian I'm dead serious, I want you.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, “...Val are you trying to say that you-”

“Yes yes…” I continued before he could finish, “I want us to get legally married right after I divorce Nick.”

I don't know if it was just my imagination but his eyes seemed to dip down with disappointment then lifted back up again.

“Are you sure about this?”

I popped up an eyebrow, “I thought that you would be happy about this or at least relieved to know that it was over between the two of us.”

Adrian wasn't stingy with his words when it came to dropping hits that his best friend could do better, and like the food that I was before I would leap forward with both feet and defend him.

But not anymore.

He placed his fingers over mine, “How I feel about this isn't important, but are you sure you're ready to leave him?”

He had said it as gently as possible and yet the words hit like a slap on the face. During these four years I had claimed I’d leave Declan about a dozen times, and I always came back.

All it took was a few pretty lies from him, maybe flowers when he's really messed up and I was falling into his arms again.

But not this time. It took me so long to confess to face the truth but now I could see it without rose colored lenses.

He didn't love me anymore.

Perhaps he never did

I held on tighter to Adrian's arm, he hardly flinched.

“Believe me Adrian I am done forgiving him, if he wants Sylvia then find they can have each other, I'm filing a divorce!” I said my voice was pitching up with emotion.

He studied me.

“I see that you mean it this time…” he said, his voice as gentle and firm as ever, “... But why do you want us to become a ‘real’ couple?”

I shifted on the bed uncomfortably, somehow I got courage from the warmth from his fingers reaching into my own.

“My family already thinks that there are some things I couldn't access as a single woman because of some conservative old farts in the family.” It was embarrassing but I got all up in his face, “just 2 years, I promise that afterwards when we get divorced you'll be leaving with a huge settlement.”

His eyes began to glimmer hearing about money and I kept going, hoping to convince him.

“And I'll make sure that you're as comfortable as my husband, you won't have to work. I'll take all of your bills and you can treat yourself I-” I understand,” his hand was on my waist guiding me back to the bed, I hadn't realized that I wasn't almost falling off the bed."Let's talk about this after you're divorced."

I was determined to get a more solid answer from him.

"Right after the divorce?"

He thought about it, his brow furrowing slightly, "can you give me 72 hours?"

My cheeks reached a light red flushing over my cheeks.

The longest I have ever been able to hold out from my soon to be ex-husband was 3 days, after 3 days I will crumble and go begging to reconcile. This was a test to see if I was really going to be able to cut off all ties with the man that had tormented me for all this time.

"Alright, 72 hours and not a minute longer."

"Yes, I'm not running away, don't worry I'm not the type to run." There was this gleaming blue eyes that made a shiver run down my spine, I looked away. Before I had squashed my reaction to his attractiveness because of my loyalty to Declan but now...

His hands went around my waist and I caught my breath as he embraced me.

My shock gave way to acceptance. The embrace was something I needed so badly. I melted like butter into his arms.

The irony of the whole situation was not lost on me My so-called husband was entertain another woman It was his best friend holding me close keeping me together into a million different pieces Before I knew it there was a stream of saltiness on my lips;tears were coming down and fast

Four years.

I had given him everything and anything and yet that was not enough for him to truly fall in love with me.

From that moment I promised myself that I would not be taken for granted anymore by this man.

First I had to heal, my body and heart had been torn and I had to put them back together, not perfectly but just enough.

I was in the hospital for two whole days, during that time Adrian practically lived there with me there was hardly a moment that I would look to my bedside and not see him there.

Then when I was discharged he was there too and drove me home in his car, you could tell it was secondhand at first glance but well cared for and apart from the habitual coughing from the engine the ride back to the Montclair Villa was mostly uneventful.

"Do you need me to come in with you?" He asked, opening the door and holding out his hand. I took it and he pulled me up to my feet out of the car.

"No," I said, looking towards the house, "this is my battle to fight.”