Between Us

Chapter 32

Max

I glance at the clock and frown. It's nearly ten in the evening, but Alianna still isn't home.

This is the third day in a row she's been working this late, and I'm worried. She's overworking herself. She uses our home gym every single morning and leaves home with nothing but a disgusting looking green smoothie.

Then she works a full day doing whatever modeling gigs she's got scheduled before she goes to her own office and works there for several hours. She works too hard, and she barely eats. She doesn't get enough rest either. This isn't sustainable, but I don't know how to get her to take better care of herself.

Part of me is also concerned that I made her uncomfortable when I kissed her, and that perhaps that is the reason she's been coming home so late. She seemed into it, but I know what she's like. She's had too much time to overthink it now, to feel guilty when she shouldn't.

My phone rings, and I instantly smile, thinking it'll be Alianna. She's taken to calling me while she's in the car home, and it's become one of my favorite parts of the day.

But it isn't her.

I stare at my phone screen, unsure whether I should pick up or not. In the end, I decided to take the call.

"Max?"

"Crystal."

"God, I missed you so much. I just... why have you been declining my calls? I know you're mad at me, Max, I get it. I really fucked up this time, and I know I hurt you, but please don't ignore me like that. You know I can't take it when you do that."

I lean back on our brand new sofa and sigh, "Has it ever occurred to you that my needs might differ from yours? Yeah, Crys, I know you can't take the silent treatment, but what I need above everything else is space."

She's silent for a moment, "Max, I... what's gotten into you? You... you've never treated me this way before. I really am sorry, babe. I swear to you that I didn't know they'd make Alianna do this. I didn't mean to get us entangled in this crazy situation. Do you really think I wanted you to marry my sister? Do you have any idea how upset I am that she let it happen at all?"

I clench my jaw and run a hand through my hair, "It isn't her fault. You don't get to blame her for your choices."

"Max! None of this would've happened if she'd just stayed away. I'm not sure what she was thinking. I suppose it's Mom and Dad's company she's after."

The door opens, and I look up when Alianna walks into the living room with a sweet smile on her face.

"Look, I need to go. I'll talk to you later."

Alianna frowns at me when I end the call before Crystal even has a chance to say goodbye. She calls me straight back, and I rush to decline the call, a weird sense of guilt holding me captive. All I did was speak to Crystal, yet somehow I feel like I cheated on my wife.

"Who was that?" she asks, her voice soft.

I hesitate, "Crystal."

Alianna stares at me for a moment, and then she huffs and shakes her head. She clenches her jaw angrily and walks past me, heading straight to our bedroom.

"It wasn't anything," I tell her, following her, "I told her we could be friends, but I'd been ignoring her messages, so she called me."

Alianna pauses and looks at me over her shoulder, "Friends," she repeats mockingly, before rolling her eyes.

"Ali," I pleaded.

She shakes her head and walks into the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind her.

Fuck. What am I supposed to do? I'm not even sure I did anything wrong at all. For God's sake.

Things have been going so well between Alianna and me, and I fucked it all up. I fucking knew speaking to Crystal wouldn't bode well for me. I know what Crystal wants from me, and I'm well aware I can't give her that. I don't even want to, but Alianna would never believe that. How could she when she's had to see me with her sister for years?

I sit down on the bed we chose together, trying to think of a way to appease her. I promised her loyalty when we got married, and I need her to know that I'd never stray.

If nothing else, I want her to know I won't ever betray her.

She walks out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel and pauses when she sees me sitting on our bed. Her eyes flash with anger, and I hesitantly hold my hand out.

"Come here, Cherry."

She narrows her eyes at me, but she does as I ask, standing between my spread legs, her eyes on mine.

I grab her hand and place my phone in it, "Check. I haven't replied to any of her messages. Check my call history. Today is the first time I picked up when she called."

"You think I won't?" she snaps.

I smiled at her, "Baby, I gave you my phone because I want you to check. This isn't me playing games with you. This is me giving you the honesty you asked for."

She stares at my phone, and for a moment, pure agony flashes through her eyes. Then she hands me back my phone, her expression grave.

"Never mind," she tells me, her voice soft, "I don't need to see any of that."

I stare at my wife for a moment, "You asked for honesty, didn't you? So give me a moment of honesty. I want to know why you just looked at my phone that way."

Alianna looks into my eyes and sighs, "Do you remember that day that Abuela made cookies, and you filmed Kenzie and me fighting over them?"

I nod, my dick stirring at the mere thought of that memory. She'd climbed into my arms in an attempt to snatch my phone away, and I'd pushed her against the wall, her body pressed against mine.

It was only for a few moments, but I still remember the way she felt against me.

"When I deleted that video, I saw the last photo you took. It was a photo of Crystal, in bed. I don't want to go through your phone because I don't want to be confronted with any of that."

I wrap my hands around her waist and look up at her pleadingly, "Grace," I remind her, "Will you give me some grace?"

She looks back at me, caught off-guard, "You didn't do anything wrong, Max. I'm not... I'm not mad at you. I'm mostly just mad at myself."

I tighten my grip on her and shake my head.

"No, baby. You're my wife. It doesn't matter how or why we got married— all that matters is that we're married now. You better believe I'd be pissed as fuck if you were going around calling your ex, so yeah, I did do something wrong. If it's not behavior I'd accept from you, it isn't something I should be doing myself. You and I will need to talk about if and how Crystal is going to be part of our lives, but that isn't something we need to do right now. How about we both think about it, and once you've decided what your boundaries are in relation to Crystal and me, you let me know? Whatever you decide, I will honor."

She stares at me in disbelief, "What if I decide that I never want you to speak to her again?"

I smile at her, "Then I won't. You are my wife, Alianna. I will always put you above anyone and everything else. Always."

She purses her lips and nods, her expression filled with cautious hope. She doesn't realize it, but she could ask me for the moon and I'd try to give it to her. There's nothing I won't do for her.

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