In The Storm, My Husband Locked Me Out And Chose Her novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: How Long

"Outside," Leander said. "Please, Gwen. Not in front of them."

"They've already read the wall."

"Then not where my mother can hear."

I picked up my bag and walked out through the glass doors onto the club lawn.

He followed me.

Behind us the guests stood in a row at the sunroom windows.

Eleanor had Lorna by the elbow and was steering her toward a side door.

Lorna did not look back at me, and she did not look at him.

The grass was soaked, and the sky was low and gray.

Maeve's watch said 2:11.

I had planned for this moment for two days, and now I had nothing to say.

"How long, Leander?" I said.

He looked at his shoes.

"January," he said.

"Say the rest."

"She told me in the office. She was laughing. She said your phone was off by a few minutes and she had never fixed it, and you'd been late to my mother's lunch because of it."

"A few minutes."

"I told her to put it right."

"Did you check?"

"No."

"Why not?"

He took a long time to answer.

A wet wind pulled at his gray suit.

"Because the next dinner, you ran in," he said. "You were flushed and out of breath, and you looked straight at me. And Lorna was watching me watch you."

"And you liked that."

"Two women, both wanting my attention." His voice dropped. "Nobody at my mother's table ever fought over me. They only wanted what I carried, the name, the seat on the board."

"So you kept the rule."

"It felt like being loved."

I looked at him.

I thought about the curb, and the locks clicking down under my hand.

"I was eight months pregnant, Leander."

← Chapter 12 · All chapters · Chapter 14 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend