The-Wrong-Bride-Ares--Raven’s-story-(Maura,-Catharina)_bibis

Chapter Thirty-Five
RAVEN
I sigh as I walk into our home gym in the morning, exhausted and annoyed. Something about that
conversation with Hannah didn’t sit well with me, and it’s ruined my mood ever since.
“Cupcake?”
I look up in surprise as Ares places the weight he was holding on the floor. He smiles at me and
walks up to me, his expression searching. “Morning,” he says as he lifts his hand, his touch tender as
he brushes the back of his hand over my face. “You came to bed so late last night. Did you sleep
okay?”
I pull away from him a little, suddenly feeling guilty. My conversation with Hannah is so deeply
embedded in my thoughts that I can’t outrun it.
With me to rely on, Ares won’t expect too much from you, and you won’t lose so much of your
own life. After all, eventually, you’ll have to go back to it, won’t you?
I nod at him and force a smile. “Yeah, just had a lot of work to finish,” I murmur, lying to him.
I take a step away and walk over to my yoga mat, mindlessly working my way through my
stretching routine. I’ve been so restless all night that I woke up with all kinds of aches.
I inhale deeply as I try my hardest to fight the resignation I feel. Ares won’t stay mad at Hannah
forever. He never does. Throughout the years, he’s always forgiven her no matter what she did. He’ll
eventually forgive her for leaving him at the altar too, and I don’t want to bear witness to it. I don’t
want to be collateral damage in their story.
I lie back and lift my leg, trying to stretch my hamstrings. I’d been on such a high because of the
progress in my relationship with Ares, yet one single conversation with Hannah made me feel guilty
for every second I’ve enjoyed with him. She’ll never forgive me. If she finds out what happened
between Ares and me, she’ll never speak to me again. My relationship with my sister might be rocky,
but I don’t want to lose her. When she said that I was caught between Ares and her, she was right…
just not in the way she thinks.
“Let me help you with that.”
Ares kneels in between my legs and moves his hand to my calf, pushing my leg back for me. I
watch him for a moment, my heart squeezing painfully. The main reason I never made a move was
because I knew that it’d cost me everything, and despite being married, that hasn’t changed.