The Marriage Bargain - ENGLOT

Chapter 29: Day 9

Cadence's POV:

Amaya arrived at the door with a big smile and a bag of takeout in hand. She had been wanting to visit and see what Emory's house looks like.

Without nothing to do all day and no one home but me, not even Kieyw, I said yes and invited her over. We sat on my bed, chatting and gossiping, and eating the takeout she brought,

"So, how's it going with Emory?" Amaya asked, her tone curious.

I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions. "It's... okay. We're making progress, I think. I've been leaving her notes to show her how much I care, and she told me she needs more than notes but she seems to appreciate it. But I still feel like there's this wall between us."

Amaya nodded sympathetically. "I get it. But maybe it's time to tear that wall down."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing.

"I mean, maybe it's time to tell her the truth," Amaya said gently. "About why you left three years ago. Not your rehearsed bullshit about wanting to be better for her."

I felt my stomach sink at the suggestion. It was true that I had never really opened up to Emory about why I left, but the thought of telling her now was scary. What if she doesn't believe me?

"I don't know, Amaya," I said hesitantly. "What if she doesn't believe me?"

"But what if she does?" Amaya pressed. "You won't know until you try. And besides, if you want to truly move forward in your relationship, you can't keep hiding things from each other."

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I knew she was right. It was time to face the truth, even if it was scary.

"I think you're right," I said finally. "I'll find the right time to tell her."

Amaya squeezed my hand reassuringly, and we spent the rest of the night talking about how to approach the conversation and what I wanted to say. It was still terrifying, but with Amaya's support, I felt like I could do it.

...

As Amaya and I sat on my bed, scrolling through our phones, I couldn't help but ask the question that has been bugging me since Emory called about the divorce.

"Hey, Amaya, do you know how Emory and Alexa got together?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Amaya glanced up from her phone, "No, I don't actually. I doubt anyone knows." She shrugged. "Why?"

"Just curious why she picked Alexa of all people." I sighed, "I mean, I always had this feeling that Alexa liked her, but I never thought Em would actually go for her."

Amaya's expression softened, and she offered me a small smile. "All I know is that one day, Teagan told me that Emory was engaged to Alexa. Even Teagan was surprised, but nobody knows how Emory's mind works anyways so we didn't question it."

"I mean, I guess it doesn't really matter how they got together," I said with a forced smile. "It's just... surprising, you know?"

Amaya nodded, sensing my discomfort. "I get it, Cadence. It's a shock to all of us. Especially after knowing how trashy that woman really is."

I chuckled at Amaya's blunt assessment, feeling a bit better. "Tell me about it." I brushed my hair back and slid further down the bed. "I just can't imagine how Emory fell for her. I mean, Alexa's always been so fake and superficial."

Amaya rolled her eyes, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "Right? I mean, have you seen her Instagram? It's all just filters and selfies."

I laughed, feeling some of the tension easing from my shoulders. "Yeah, she wants everyone to think she's this perfect person, but it's all a façade."