times in the middle of the night, but I didn’t answer. And once I heard about the intruder, I thought it would look suspicious if I called her back.”
“It would,” I agreed. “Plus, you aren’t talking to her again.” Ever again. I’d laid down several nonnegotiable rules, the primary being for him to be completely honest with me and cut all communication with her.
“Of course not.” His hand closed over mine, and I struggled with my emotions on allowing a final talk between William and Neena. It felt as if there did need to be some closure. I wanted her to know that he had chosen me, and not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
But had he?
That was part of the problem with triggering the “attempts” on Matt’s life. It stopped the affair before it died out on its own. As far as Neena knew, William could be pining over her and was only being kept at bay by me.
It was a problem I had yet to find a solution for. William’s thumb ran over the back of my hand, and I pulled it away.
As we rounded the bend, Ravenswood Preserve came into view. The sun streamed over the colors of the marshland, the water glistening. He nodded to the view. “Remember what you said when we first moved here?”
“That it was magic?”
“That we’d create magic here.” He leaned over, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “We have, Cat.”
“And then you ruined it.”
He moved over to the shoulder and stopped before a big NO PARKING sign. He turned to me, and I could see the ache in his eyes. “I’ll fix it. I’ll earn your trust back. I don’t know how, but I’ll spend every day of my life trying.”
I shook my head and told him the truth. “I don’t know if you can.”
“Don’t say that,” he begged. “I—”
“You what? You slept with her. Kissed her. Gave up time and attention that you should have spent on me, on her. And you lied to me about everything.” I started to cry, my words sticking, my breath sucking out wet little sobs I couldn’t control.
I’d known for weeks, but the wound still felt raw, as if the pent-up emotions had been incubating in my chest and were just now bursting free.
He undid my seat belt and pulled me to him, lifting me over the armrest and against his chest, my legs too long for the position. Clutching me to him, he kissed my forehead, my cheeks, my nose, my lips. “Please,” he begged, his voice ragged. “I can’t live without you, Cat. I was weak and stupid. It meant nothing.”
I was stiff under his touch, unswayed by his emotions. “She needs to be punished, William.” I pulled away from his chest and looked up into his eyes. “She can’t do what she did to you to anyone else.”
He nodded, ready to agree to anything. It was the moment I’d waited for, the final nail primed and ready for her coffin.
“Call Nicole in PR. Leak the murder attempt and her firing to the local papers.”
He hesitated. “Cat, I just want to be done with her. Forever.”
“And I need you to do this. To show her that you’re done. And to punish her for doing this to us.”
He didn’t like it. I could see it in his eyes, in the wary way that he nodded, then pressed his lips against my forehead. “Okay,” he whispered. “I’ll give her a call as soon as I drop you off at the police station.”
“Have her do it today,” I demanded. “It needs to be front page by tomorrow.”
“I will.”
I met his mouth and melted into his kiss, the connection fed by his emotion. In that moment, I didn’t forgive him, but the scab over my wound grew a little bit thicker.
I found Matt at the police station, seated at the end of a long line of chairs. He stood and pulled me in for a hug that smelled of sweat and pizza. I squeezed him back and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek. He’d do well without her. He had money and was kind. He’d find a new young wife who laughed at his jokes, looked great on his arm, and could suck-start a Harley.
I smiled at Matt. “Looks like you made it through last night.”
“Barely.” He sat back down in the chair and glanced at his watch. “My head is killing me.”
“What happened with Neena last night?”
“She came home for about