“This is Brielle, my . . .” He paused for a second. “Sister-in-law, Julian’s wife.”
The man smiled at me. “Oh, right.” He extended his hand. “Bill Thompson, and this is Bentley.” I shook Bill’s hand and smiled at the young boy. “Bentley here nagged me about spending the afternoon with Caleb, and when Delaney said you guys went fishing, I figured I could take them out on the boat for a few.”
“Can I, Dad?” Caleb looked up at Nate with hopeful eyes.
“Sure thing.”
Nate and Bill exchanged a few words about where Nate would wait for them before they said their good-byes. Then they drove off and headed toward the dock. When the car was out of sight, Nate looked over at me.
“How bad has he hit you?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
His voice grew with anger. “He’s three times your size, Brielle, and from what I’ve been told about his interviews, Julian is demanding.”
“And he loves me.” I don’t know why I was ashamed or why I needed to explain myself. “It’s nothing serious. Only when he’s really mad. He feels horrible about it.”
Nate cursed under his breath. “Have you ever thought about filing a restraining order?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’ve seen the sweet Julian, who has left everything behind to help me. We’re going through something, and we will come out stronger. I know that.” I desperately needed to believe that.
“When did it get this bad?”
“When he started working for Dennis. He gave Julian all this power which also came with a heavy price tag.”
Nate kept his head lowered and his hand wrapped around his knee. “Is this the life you want?”
“I said five questions. That’s six.”
“No, that’s number five.”
“No, you asked why.”
Nate chuckled. It seemed odd at the moment when the topic of our conversation was depressing. “You’re still a smart aleck, huh?”
I smiled. ‘That’s another question.”
“Come on.” Nate released his knees and turned his upper body toward me. “Is this the life you want?”
I sighed and thought about the question. Shaking my head, I giggled. “I want the life where we run into the sunset together,” I said sarcastically. “Where you slip on the glass slipper and it fits. I want to be swept away every time I get kissed, causing me to kick my feet up with joy.”
A grin grew on Nate’s face. He looked delectable. “That can happen.”
I scoffed. “That only happens in movies. There’s no such thing as a happily-ever-after.”
“You don't believe in it?” His eyebrows furrowed.
I shook my head. “I think it's a crock of shit. I think it's happy while you're together, but once the happiness begins to fade, it’s all downhill.” Nate looked at me with his brow furrowed. I struggled to make him understand.
“Do you think Cinderella and Prince Charming lived happily forever? Or do you think perhaps ten years into their marriage he began to hit her? Did you ever consider that she was so afraid of him she refused to have his child because it would bind them together forever and she would never escape him?” Nate’s mouth opened but no sound came out. “Do you think the fear of never getting away consumed her so she hid birth control from him, but when he found it, he was so infuriated he fractured her jaw?”
I shook my head, and my tears began to fall. “I don’t believe in happily-ever-after. I believe that two people should stay together while they are happy, but once that disappears and you’re still whole, you should pack your shit and leave.” It’s what I believed, but not what I lived.
Nate’s hand wrapped around a strand of my hair. “Brielle, that is no way to live.”
“I don’t have the strength anymore.” We stared into each other’s eyes for a few more seconds. “I've made a complete fool of myself. I should go.” I pushed off the sand and stood.
Before I was able to take a second step, Nate's hand grasped mine and held me in place. “I'm going to kiss you,” he muttered. “I'm going to kiss you the way you deserve to be kissed. You'll be able to feel it. You’re not spineless, nor are you broken. You’re the strongest woman I know.” He pulled me into his arms and I went willingly. His nose ran up my cheek and a soft whimper escaped my lips.
“Don’t,” I whispered softly.
But Nate ignored my request. His lips kissed half of mine. One small half kiss was placed on one side, then the other. My breath was shaky, and I grew dizzy. The anticipation was too much to bear.