Vows Of Deception

Chapter Two

"Get out," I said, but my voice was too quiet. Too weak.

Michael pushed past me into the apartment before I could stop him. His shoulder brushed against mine, and the contact sent electricity through my whole body. I hated that he still had that effect on me. Hated that three years of marriage and six months of hell hadn't killed whatever this was between us.

Lisa jumped up from the couch, ready to fight. She had always been protective of me, but especially now. She had seen what these last six months had done to me. The weight I had lost. The dark circles under my eyes. The way I had stopped painting, stopped creating, stopped being Sophia.

I shook my head at her. I could handle this. I had to handle this. This was my mess, my broken marriage, my broken heart.

"You can't just walk in here," I said, finding my voice. "You don't live here anymore. You don't have any right to be here."

"Tell me you didn't sign," he repeated, grabbing my shoulders. His hands were warm, strong, and so familiar it hurt. His touch burned through my thin sweater. I hated that it still affected me. Hated that my body still responded to him like this.

"I signed." I pulled away from him, putting distance between us. I needed space. Needed air. "It's over, Michael. That's what you wanted, right? That's what those papers meant. You want to be free to be with Vanessa."

He looked like I had hit him. Like I had reached into his chest and ripped his heart out. Good. He deserved to hurt the way I had been hurting for six months. The way I had been hurting since the first time I saw him with her.

"That's not what I wanted," he said, his voice breaking. "I never wanted this. Sophia, you have to believe me."

"Really?" I laughed, but it came out bitter and broken. "Then what was all this? The divorce papers? The settlement? Vanessa? Was that all in my imagination?"

His jaw tightened at her name. A muscle ticked there, and I saw his hands clench into fists at his sides. "Vanessa is not what you think she is. She's not what this is about."

"I saw you with her," I said, and my voice cracked. I hated showing weakness, but I couldn't help it. The memory was too fresh, too painful. "At the gala. At your office. In the restaurant downtown. Don't lie to me, Michael. Don't you dare lie to me anymore."

"I'm not lying. You don't understand what's going on. You don't understand what I've been trying to do."

"Then explain it to me," I said, stepping closer to him. My hands were shaking, but I didn't care anymore. "Explain why you sent me divorce papers. Explain why you've been cold and distant for six months. Explain why every time I tried to talk to you, tried to save us, you shut me out like I was nothing."

He ran his hands through his hair, making it even messier. He looked destroyed. Wrecked. Nothing like the controlled, powerful man I had married.

"I was trying to protect you," he said.

"Protect me?" My voice rose. "By divorcing me? By breaking my heart? That's protection?"

"Yes." His voice was firm now. Certain. Desperate. "There are things you don't know, Sophia. Things I couldn't tell you. Things that would put you in danger if you knew."

Lisa stepped forward, getting between us. Her eyes were hard as she looked at Michael. "This is crazy. Sophia, don't listen to him. He's manipulating you. This is what abusers do. They make excuses. They twist things around so you think you're the problem."

But I was listening. Because despite everything, despite all the pain and betrayal and broken promises, I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe there was a reason for all this pain. That the man I fell in love with was still in there somewhere.

"Tell me," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Tell me everything. No more secrets. No more lies."

Michael looked at Lisa, then back at me. His gray eyes were intense, burning with something I couldn't name. "Not here. Not with her listening."

"Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Lisa. She's my family. She's been there for me through everything."

"No, I can't." His eyes were serious. Dark. Haunted. "Sophia, please. Come with me. Just for an hour. Let me explain everything. Then if you still want the divorce, I'll sign the papers. I'll walk away. I'll never bother you again."

"Don't do it," Lisa warned, grabbing my arm. "He'll just hurt you again. This is a trap, Sophia. Can't you see that?"

She was probably right. Going with Michael was probably the stupidest thing I could do. But I had to know. I had to understand why the man I loved had destroyed us. Why he had sent those papers. Why he had pushed me away so cruelly.

"One hour," I said, looking at Michael. "You have one hour to explain everything. Then I'm done. For real this time. No more chances."

Michael nodded, relief flooding his face. His shoulders sagged like he had been holding his breath. "Thank you. Thank you, Sophia."

Lisa grabbed my arm tighter. "Sophia, please—"

"I'll be okay," I said, squeezing her hand. "I promise. Keep your phone on. If I need you, I'll call."

I grabbed my jacket from the hook by the door and followed Michael out into the hallway. My legs felt weak, shaky. What was I doing? Why was I giving him another chance to hurt me?

His car was parked illegally in front of my building, a black SUV with tinted windows. Expensive. Sleek. Everything Michael was. He opened the door for me, something he hadn't done in months. His hand grazed my lower back as I climbed in, and I tried to ignore the way my skin tingled at the contact.

We drove in silence. The city lights blurred past the windows as we headed uptown. I tried not to think about all the times we had driven together like this, back when we were happy. Back when I thought we had forever. Back when I believed in us.

"Where are we going?" I asked finally, breaking the heavy silence.

"Somewhere safe," he said. His hands were tight on the wheel, his knuckles white.

That's when I saw it. The car behind us. Black. Expensive. Following too close. Moving when we moved. Turning when we turned.

My heart started racing. "Michael—"

"I know," he said, his voice tight. "I see them. Hold on."

He slammed on the gas, and we shot forward into the night. My body slammed back against the seat. The city became a blur of lights and sound. And behind us, the black car stayed close, hunting us through the dark streets.