I lean back in my seat and sigh. What fucking now? I get that the pressure is high for both of us, but I’m exhausted. I’m tired of constantly fighting with her. I just want to go back to a time when we were still happy together, when we were looking forward to our future together.
“What would you like to talk about?” I ask, my voice calm.
“Ares,” she says, her voice breaking. “I can’t do this. I… I can’t marry you.”
I put my elbows on my desk and bury my hands in my hair as I let my eyes fall closed. “Our wedding is next week, Hannah. You’ve postponed it three times now.”
“Ares, I’m serious. The more I think about it, the more it torments me. Because of your family’s rules, we can’t spend more than three consecutive days apart for the entire first three years of our marriage, but how is that supposed to work? You can’t take time off from work to accompany me when I’m filming, and I can’t take three years off. How many years do I really have left in my prime? I’m at the height of my career, and I can’t walk away from that now. Maybe the time will be right for us someday, but we both know it isn’t now.”
I look at her and take in the pain in her eyes. She really is serious this time, isn’t she? “Hannah,” I say, my voice soft. “I hear you, honey. I do. But this marriage between us? It isn’t just a marriage between you and me. It’s also one between our families, our companies. We’re lucky that we fell in love with each other, but ultimately, this is an arranged marriage. It’s not something either of us can walk away from.”
She shakes her head. “I know. I’m not saying I won’t marry you at all. I’m just saying not now. Someday, we’ll be in a stage of our lives where we want children, and I’ll want to take it easier in my career… but that time isn’t now, Ares. Marriage isn’t something we should mess around with. If we get married now, I don’t think our relationship could survive the strain. I definitely don’t think my career could withstand it.”
I fall silent as her words ring through my ears. Yeah, perhaps she’s right, but it’s too late now. “Han,” I say, my tone gentle. “I know you’re worried, and I get that the stress is getting to you, but we’re going to be okay. We don’t have the luxury of walking away from this.”
She rises to her feet and shakes her head. Hannah stares at me, her gaze lingering and filled with regret. “I’m sorry, Ares,” she says.
She takes her engagement ring out of her pocket and places it on my desk, staring at it for a moment before she pushes it toward me. She rarely even wore that ring, yet it kills me to have her return it to me.
“Hannah, don’t be like that,” I plead.
She shakes her head. “I’m sorry.”
Before I can even stop her, she rushes away, leaving me staring after her. I watch as my office door slams shut, my thoughts in disarray. This isn’t the first time Hannah has gotten cold feet, and it certainly isn’t the first time she’s been worried about her career, but it feels different this time.
It feels final… and I have no fucking idea what I’m supposed to do.
ChapterFourteen
Ares
* * *
Lex, Luca and Zane stare at me, none of them sure what to say. That’s not what gets me, though. It’s the fact that Dion is sitting opposite me in my living room. It’s rare for all five of us to be together, since Dion lives in London. The fact that he flew here overnight means they’re worried about me.
“What is this shit about you two breaking up a week before the wedding?” Dion asks eventually. “You’re supposed to be the lucky one out of us, dickhead. You’re the only one of us that actually gets to marry the person you love, and you pull this bullshit.”
I run a hand through my hair and look up at the ceiling. “It’s not like I wanted to, Dion. I’m as surprised as you are. I knew we had our issues, but what couple doesn’t? I didn’t expect her to call off the wedding for real.”
Luca groans and shoves against Dion’s shoulder. “You fucking suck at this consolation shit. Why did any of us think you were going to be our best bet?” He looks at Lexington and nods. “You try, Lex. Put that PhD of yours to good use.”
Lex frown at Luca and shakes his head. “I have a PhD inrobotics. What am I supposed to do? Build him a robot fiancee?”
Zane bursts out laughing. “I bet the robot would still have more character than Hannah ever did. Don’t tell me any of you are actually upset they broke up? Fuck this love match bullshit, because when it comes to Ares, love clearly is fucking blind.”
I shake my head and lift my whiskey glass to my lips. “Thanks guys,” I tell them. “I feel so much better now.”
My brothers chuckle amongst themselves, and it hits me then. They’re concerned about me, but the relief in the air is palpable. My brothers aren’t upset that Hannah and I broke things off. They’re just concerned because I’m hurting.
“Did you guys truly not like her, or are you just trying to make me feel better?”
They glance at each other, and Lex and Zane elbow each other, as though they’re both indicating for the other to speak. In the end, it’s Dion who speaks up.
“It’s not that we don’t like her, Ares. It’s just that she clearly wasn’t the one for you. Hannah is a diva, and some guys are really into that, but you aren’t one of them. We all saw how it killed you to have to cater to her at every turn, never getting much in return. She wouldn’t even publicly acknowledge your relationship, you know? I always felt like you deserved better than that, so no, I’m not upset she broke things off with you. Someone had to do it, and I know you never would. You’d stick with her, even if it’s just to comply with Grandma’s terms.”
Lex looks at me, his expression pained. “Ares,” he says, “tell us the truth. Were you happy with her in recent years, or had you just gotten used to the status quo?”
I grit my teeth and look away. “What the fuck are you?Socrates?” I snap.