was a foolish infatuation, based on her appearance, not her personality. To be blunt, Margot was a bit of a bitch back then.”
Molly laughed. “She’d be the first to agree with you.”
“Having gotten to know her better since, I would expect my feelings to have deepened if they were genuine. Now, when I look at her, I feel nothing.”
She refused to acknowledge the rush of relief. “I see.”
“Speaking of seeing, do you know what I see when I look at her?”
Molly’s stomach clenched as she braced herself. “What?”
“A pale substitute for you.”
She sagged against her chair, not sure how to respond. Once again, the words were perfect. If motivated from his heartfelt sincerity, she would be ecstatic. “I don’t know how to trust you.” That was at the heart of the issue.
Aronne pushed back his chair to stand up and walk around the table. He knelt beside her chair, taking her stiff hand in his. She tried to hold herself immobile and keep herself immune to his presence.
“I understand. You have no reason to trust me. I was angry with you when you lied to me.” When she tried to look away, he cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “I was angry with our fathers as well. I felt helpless and manipulated. Like an ass, I took out my frustrations on you.”
“It was my fault.”
Aronne shrugged. “You never flat-out lied to me.”
Molly frowned. “Don’t make excuses. I led you to believe I was around twenty-two, not almost eighteen.”
“Yes, you did, but you were young. Ostensibly, I was an adult. I should have had the balls to stay and face our parents, to deal with our marriage.” Aronne sighed. “Had I done so, had I made the effort to have a genuine marriage with you, I wouldn’t have missed out on Cara’s life up ‘til now, and we would have a stronger relationship.”
Molly shook her head. “I wasn’t ready to be married then. I wasn’t even eighteen. When I seduced you…” She blushed, still feeling a little awkward about it. “When I tried to get your attention, I did it because I thought you were cute. I thought you might give me a kiss.”
His face twisted. “Instead, I ruined your life.”
“Stop that. I freely admit I got more than I’d expected that night, but it wasn’t anything I didn’t want.” Molly took a sip of wine, both for courage and to wet her dry mouth. “I made up my mind to take you as my first lover during our second kiss. I knew you’d be angry that I’d deceived you, but I let it happen anyway.”
“I would have been, but I don’t think I would have been such a jerk if everyone hadn’t known what I’d done.” Scarlet rose up his neck. “I was the despoiler of virgins, and the seducer of little girls. Not only in their eyes, but my own as well.”
“It was consensual. I knew what I was doing and what I wanted. It wasn’t like my decision would have changed in three weeks, if I’d waited until I was eighteen.” She sighed. “Our parents were wrong to force us to get married. They should have let us go our separate ways.”
“I won’t pretend that I would have tried to pursue a relationship with you then, if it had played out that way. I was too guilty and ashamed by my own actions, not to mention the age difference.” Aronne brought her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss against the back. “However, I wouldn’t have abandoned you to have Cara alone if I’d stayed around. We’ll always have her in common, but she isn’t the reason I’m trying to repair our marriage.”
“Sophia?” she asked, torn between burgeoning hope and fear of hearing what he said next.
Aronne shook his head. “I love my mother, but I wouldn’t let her force me into staying in a marriage I didn’t want. You’re the reason I want to reconcile.” His eyes darkened. “That day when you kissed your boyfriend, it hit me like a fist in the gut. I was angry. At
Molly laughed. “She’d be the first to agree with you.”
“Having gotten to know her better since, I would expect my feelings to have deepened if they were genuine. Now, when I look at her, I feel nothing.”
She refused to acknowledge the rush of relief. “I see.”
“Speaking of seeing, do you know what I see when I look at her?”
Molly’s stomach clenched as she braced herself. “What?”
“A pale substitute for you.”
She sagged against her chair, not sure how to respond. Once again, the words were perfect. If motivated from his heartfelt sincerity, she would be ecstatic. “I don’t know how to trust you.” That was at the heart of the issue.
Aronne pushed back his chair to stand up and walk around the table. He knelt beside her chair, taking her stiff hand in his. She tried to hold herself immobile and keep herself immune to his presence.
“I understand. You have no reason to trust me. I was angry with you when you lied to me.” When she tried to look away, he cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “I was angry with our fathers as well. I felt helpless and manipulated. Like an ass, I took out my frustrations on you.”
“It was my fault.”
Aronne shrugged. “You never flat-out lied to me.”
Molly frowned. “Don’t make excuses. I led you to believe I was around twenty-two, not almost eighteen.”
“Yes, you did, but you were young. Ostensibly, I was an adult. I should have had the balls to stay and face our parents, to deal with our marriage.” Aronne sighed. “Had I done so, had I made the effort to have a genuine marriage with you, I wouldn’t have missed out on Cara’s life up ‘til now, and we would have a stronger relationship.”
Molly shook her head. “I wasn’t ready to be married then. I wasn’t even eighteen. When I seduced you…” She blushed, still feeling a little awkward about it. “When I tried to get your attention, I did it because I thought you were cute. I thought you might give me a kiss.”
His face twisted. “Instead, I ruined your life.”
“Stop that. I freely admit I got more than I’d expected that night, but it wasn’t anything I didn’t want.” Molly took a sip of wine, both for courage and to wet her dry mouth. “I made up my mind to take you as my first lover during our second kiss. I knew you’d be angry that I’d deceived you, but I let it happen anyway.”
“I would have been, but I don’t think I would have been such a jerk if everyone hadn’t known what I’d done.” Scarlet rose up his neck. “I was the despoiler of virgins, and the seducer of little girls. Not only in their eyes, but my own as well.”
“It was consensual. I knew what I was doing and what I wanted. It wasn’t like my decision would have changed in three weeks, if I’d waited until I was eighteen.” She sighed. “Our parents were wrong to force us to get married. They should have let us go our separate ways.”
“I won’t pretend that I would have tried to pursue a relationship with you then, if it had played out that way. I was too guilty and ashamed by my own actions, not to mention the age difference.” Aronne brought her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss against the back. “However, I wouldn’t have abandoned you to have Cara alone if I’d stayed around. We’ll always have her in common, but she isn’t the reason I’m trying to repair our marriage.”
“Sophia?” she asked, torn between burgeoning hope and fear of hearing what he said next.
Aronne shook his head. “I love my mother, but I wouldn’t let her force me into staying in a marriage I didn’t want. You’re the reason I want to reconcile.” His eyes darkened. “That day when you kissed your boyfriend, it hit me like a fist in the gut. I was angry. At
Similar Books
