Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

“I don’t care when there’s no reason to. I expressly stated that one notable exception was amid a
business merger where the opinion of the other party does, in fact, matter.”
I tap the screen to set sail, then I look at him solemnly. “Did you just refer to our marriage as a
business merger?”
“In some regards, it is.”
I shake my head, looking down as some idiot pirate tries to attack my ship. “Well, I know what
I’m writing in every one of your anniversary cards.”
“I want your mom to approve of the man you’re marrying. Is that a crime?”
“She will like you. I have already set you up to be well-liked, I promise. You’re doing the rest
by gifting her a home. We are all set, I promise. Provided you don’t accidentally tell the truth about
how you impregnated me, I think we’re all good. And honestly, even if she knew, I feel like she would
have incentive to be forgiving given—one last time—you have purchased our house for her.”
He doesn’t seem entirely convinced, but that’s probably just because he knows logically that she
shouldn’t like him.
It’s kind of cute how insistent he is about it, though.
Tension rises when we get into town, but it’s not his baggage this time; it’s mine. I left this town
shortly after several heartbreaks, and to be honest, I never wanted to look back. It was an escape,
pure and simple. I come back to see Mom for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I’ve never been able
to shake the icky associations I have with this place.
The rows of homes are just slums to him, but as we pass Swan Street, I recall the party I went to
with Ross—my first love—down that road. His friends “joked” with me that he was hooking up with
this girl I was really insecure about because they were weirdly friendly, just… too close for comfort.
I look over at Calvin. “Do you have any close female friends?”
He shakes his head. “Not really. Acquaintances, work colleagues. Not friends.”
“Have you ever cheated on a girlfriend?”
His lip curls up in disdain. “No.”
I get the sense he’s offended by my question, but given how we met, I don’t see how he could be.
It’s not like he’s never done anything awful. “Okay, I just wondered.” I’m quiet for a moment, then I
decide to take a page from Calvin’s book and be more honest. “Actually, no, you know what. I have
some baggage with that, I guess you should know. With my mom and dad’s history, and then that
wretched first love I told you about—he made me really insecure just for fun. He thought it was
entertaining to see me all riled up and hurt about things.”
“What was his name again?”
“Ross.”