Page 135 of Love Unwritten

His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “If I learned one thing, it’s that life never is.”

My mom taught me long ago that people make big sacrifices for security and peace of mind, and we can’t judge them for their choices unless we have walked in their shoes, but I can still hurt for him and the fact that he married someone he wasn’t sure about because of his past trauma.

And I hurt a lot.

I stop pulling at a loose thread on my sleep pants. “Why did you stay married to her after you became a billionaire, then? It’s not like you needed her parents’ money anymore.”

He stares at me.

“What?”

“Do you really want to hear that answer?”

“Yes?” Or at least I thought so until he asked me that.

“It took some time, but things got better between us. Nico brought us together, and we were this happy little family for a few years. I thought we were both committed to making the marriage work.” His disapproving laugh cuts through me like a knife. “But once Nico went to Pre-K, cracks started forming again, this time worse than before. She went back to work, and I was focused on managing a construction job while trying to get the Dwelling app off the ground. We were growing apart, but it was easier to ignore the signs and hope things would get better like last time. I even suggested having another child at one point, which seemed to freak her out.”

“But things didn’t get better.”

He shakes his head. “No. They weren’t bad, but only because she was biding her time until my app finally became the success her father claimed it would be.” His voice shakes. “He was my first investor, so he had been there since the beginning. He knew exactly what was happening behind-the-scenes and how much Hillary stood to earn if the company went public, although I had no clue until I filed for divorce.” His bitter laugh sends a chill down my spine.

Bile churns in my stomach. “She stuck around because of money?”

His throat tightens as he nods. “Her parents said she owed them for helping us from the beginning. That’s why she stayed despite falling in love with one of her coworkers.”

Before I speak, he continues, “I think part of me loved her, which is why it hurt so much. I thought she cared about me, only to realize she was a better pretender than I was.”

“Rafael…” I want to pull him into a hug, but I remain seated, my heart physically aching at not being able to provide him with some type of comfort.

I’ve never felt this way before. Never wanted to soothe someone so badly that it pained me to stay away. I don’t know what to make of it, but the burn in my chest doesn’t relent until I walk over and take a seat beside him.

I wind my arms around him and pull until we are pressed against each other. At first, he stiffens, but after a few passes of my hand down the center of his back, his muscles loosen, and he lets out a sigh. His hand rests on the inside of my thigh, sending tingles up my leg that I do my best to ignore.

He tries so damn hard to disguise his shaky breath. “Her affair had been going on for over a year, but I was so focused on my damn company going public that I hadn’t noticed. I should have known it was strange that she kept working since we finally had the money to support her being a stay-at-home mom like she wanted, but I just assumed she liked her job.” His laugh is bitter and full of self-loathing.

I press my palm against his cheek. “It’s not your fault someone took advantage of your trust.”

“I try to tell myself that, but the signs were all there. If I had just stopped to pay attention, I could have saved myself a lot of pain, time, and money.”

“It was an honest mistake.”

“I seem to make a lot of those.”

“Do you know what that makes you?”

“Stupid?”

“Human.”

He stares into the distance while I look at him, taking in every single detail of his face.

Rafael may be handsome, but what makes him truly breathtaking is his heart. It’s no mystery why he wants to protect it, especially after everything he divulged about Hillary and her family.

Do I blame him for his issues trusting others? No. Not at all, especially after what he went through. If I were in his position, I’m sure I’d struggle to do the same, which only makes me empathize with him more.

I’m not sure how long we sit there in silence, but he is the first one to speak.

“What I said about not trusting you earlier…”