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

with her, Rave. I went to see her so I could put proper boundaries in place and end things with her.”
Her eyes widen. “You did?”
I reach for her and push a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Of course I did. Maybe she and I will
find our way back together in a few years. Who knows? But in the meantime, she can’t be more than a
friend to me. I won’t betray you. Hannah made her choice, and she’ll have to live with it the same
way we do.”
She stares at me as though she can’t quite figure out if I’m lying to her or not, but I suppose there
isn’t much I can say to convince her. Only time can prove my sincerity.
“Where were you?” I ask again, my tone calmer now.
“Sierra’s,” she says, and I exhale in relief. Of course. I should’ve known that.
“Don’t stay away from home without notifying me and pick up when I call you. It isn’t just
because we can’t spend much time apart, but also because I was worried, Rave. I know you didn’t
want to get married, but you are now, and it comes with some new responsibilities. One of them is
keeping me informed of this kind of thing.”
“Home,” she repeats, her face scrunched up in disgust. “This isn’t my home,” she says, looking
exhausted. “I’m not even sure it’s yours. It’s Hannah’s.”
I take a step back and look around. She’s right. Nearly every single thing in here was chosen by
Hannah. I let her do whatever she wanted, and I’ve never even truly loved my own home as a result.
How did I never see that before?
“Raven,” I tell her. “I meant what I said when you and I got married. It isn’t what either of us
wanted, but we’re married now. I’ll do right by you, starting with a formal announcement next month.”
“What?” she asks, her eyes widening. “I thought…”
“You thought we’d keep our marriage a secret? We can’t. Rumors about our wedding have already
started to spread. We’re much better off confirming the gossip. I refuse to sneak around with my own
damn wife. Besides, do you really think Grandma would let us get away with that? If we don’t break
the news, she will. This way, we at least control the narrative.”
Raven nods, her expression thoughtful. “What will you do in three years? How will you explain to
the media that you’re divorcing your wife to marry her sister?”
“I’ll tell them the truth. I’ll prove that Hannah and I have been dating for years, but that you and I
were forced to get married.”
She stares at me, but I’m not sure what she’s searching for. “I’d rather keep it a secret, Ares. I
don’t want to be the jilted wife. I don’t want to be the villain in your story.”
I grit my teeth and take a step closer to her, placing my index finger underneath her chin. I tilt her
face up toward mine and smile humorlessly. “I won’t be your dirty little secret, Mrs. Windsor. You
carry my name, and you’ll do it with pride.”
Raven blinks in confusion for a moment, but then realization dawns. She looks at me as though she
can see right through me, to the insecurity Hannah instilled in me by keeping our relationship quiet for
so long. “I only suggested it because I think it’d be in your best interests, Ares. I won’t hide our
marriage if you don’t want me to. I’m not her.”
I let go of her and look away, wishing I’d just have kept my cool. Why is it that I always had
endless patience with Hannah, yet it’s different with Raven?
“Don’t,” I snap, unsure who I’m mad at, myself or her. “Don’t hide our marriage. I’ll be making a
formal announcement on my social media channels four weeks from now, and I highly recommend that
you do the same. Our PR team is working on our statements.”
She smiles at me and nods. “Sure. Just tell me when. I’ve got a cute photo from our wedding that I