Chapter 2

Kacie took a deep breath, the scent of roses making her nauseous. She walked over to Cedric, her movements stiff. She helped him out of his jacket, her fingers brushing against his skin. He smelled strongly of alcohol. He never drank this much. It was bad for his health, a fact she knew he was well aware of. He must have been drinking to seal a deal for Jayden' s family's company. Another sacrifice for her.

He was drunker than she thought. As he swayed, his head lolled to the side, and he mumbled a name.

"Jayden..."

It was a soft, slurred sound, but it hit Kacie with the force of a physical blow.

From the hallway, Jayden's voice called out, "Cedric? Are you alright? I'll get you some water." She was still here. Of course, she was.

Kacie ignored her and steered Cedric toward the bedroom. She helped him onto the bed and then escaped into the bathroom, leaning against the cool marble of the counter, trying to catch her breath.

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Cedric pressed his face into her neck, his breath hot against her skin.

"Kacie," he murmured, his lips finding hers. The kiss was clumsy, tasting of whiskey and regret. "My wife."

The word, which should have been a comfort, felt like another lie. But a desperate, foolish part of her still wanted to believe.

Her body trembled. "Do you still want to marry me, Cedric?" The question was a whisper, fragile and full of fear.

He pulled back just enough to look at her. He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs wiping away tears she hadn't realized were falling. He kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her mouth.

"Yes," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Of course, I do. I want to give you the grandest wedding. I want us to have a child. A little girl who looks just like you."

The dam inside her broke. She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. She was a vine, and he was the tree she had wrapped her entire, fragile life around. If he fell, she would shatter.

She let herself believe him. She let herself hope.

The next day, that hope felt like a cruel joke. His promises from the night before dissolved with the morning light. She remembered the cool, electronic voice that had sounded in her head the moment he ran out of the wedding reception yesterday. It was the voice of her internal clock, the harsh reality of her diagnosis. Three years, Kacie. Your time is running out.

"Cedric," she said, her voice carefully neutral as they sat at breakfast. "I think it would be best if Jayden was transferred to another department."

He didn't even hesitate. "No."

"Why not?"

"She' s my assistant. She does a good job. There' s no reason to move her."

"She' s not just an assistant, and you know it. Everyone in the company whispers about you two. Your parents treat her like their daughter. She' s not just an employee, Cedric."

He frowned, a familiar sign of his impatience. "Don't be unreasonable, Kacie."

He stood up, grabbing his pajamas, and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. The argument was over. He had decided.

Kacie felt a familiar tightness in her chest. It was a pressure that had nothing to do with her heart condition and everything to do with him.

That night, when she went to bed, the lights were off. But the ceiling above her glowed with a soft, beautiful light. He had turned on the projector he'd installed, and the Rosette Nebula bloomed across the ceiling. It was breathtaking.

He slid into bed beside her, pulling her against his chest. "I'm sorry about yesterday," he whispered. "The wedding was a mess. I promise, I'll make it up to you. We' ll have another one, bigger and better than yesterday's."

She looked into his eyes, saw the stars of the nebula reflected there, and her resolve softened. She was so tired of fighting. She just wanted to be loved.

"Okay," she whispered.

He leaned in to kiss her, but just as his lips were about to touch hers, his phone rang. The sound was harsh in the quiet room.

He pulled away to answer it. Kacie heard Jayden's voice on the other end, choked with sobs.

"Cedric... I just booked a flight back home."

He sat up immediately, his voice sharp with alarm. "What? Why? What happened?"

"Someone posted online... about you leaving the wedding for me," Jayden cried. "They' re saying horrible things, calling me a homewrecker. I can' t take it, Cedric. I have to leave."

Kacie felt his gaze on her, cold and assessing. The warmth from a moment ago vanished, replaced by an icy chill.

She met his eyes. "You think I did it?"

He didn't answer her. He spoke into the phone, his voice gentle again. "Don't cry, Jayden. Stay where you are. I'll handle it."

He hung up and turned to Kacie, his face a mask of disappointment. "Why would you do something so petty?"

The accusation hit her harder than she expected. "It wasn't me."

"Then who was it?"

"I don't know, but it wasn't me!"

He didn't believe her. She could see it in his eyes. He stood up and pulled her out of bed. "Get dressed. We're going to the hospital."

"What for?"

"You're going to apologize to Jayden. And we're going to live stream it to clear her name."

"No," she said, pulling her arm away. "I have nothing to apologize for."

He grabbed her arm again, his grip tight. "You're going to do this, Kacie. You owe her that much."

He dragged her out of the house and to the car. The whole way to the hospital, she sat in silence, her heart a cold, heavy stone in her chest.

When they arrived, a cameraman was already waiting in Jayden's hospital room. Jayden herself was sitting up in bed, wearing a pretty dress, her makeup perfect, looking pale and fragile.

The moment she saw Cedric, her eyes filled with tears. "Cedric," she whispered, then her gaze shifted to Kacie, and she flinched as if she were afraid.

"Kacie, don't scare her," Cedric said, his voice sharp. He moved to stand between them, his body a shield protecting Jayden from her.

The action was so automatic, so instinctual. He was protecting another woman from his own wife. The bitterness was so strong Kacie could taste it. She had never seen him protect anyone like that before. Not even her.