“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what, Richard? What would you have done?”
“I don’t know. Apologized sooner? Bought you a burger to make up for it?”
Her eyes lit up with fire, “You think what you did to me… you think a burger can make up for it?” her eyes twinkled like she was fighting tears. Did I hurt her that badly? I was just a foolish teenager.
“Nita, I am sorry. I was young, I was stupid. I wish I could take it all back and tell you how I feel instead of being a constant jerk to gain your attention.”
“How did you feel that would justify what you did to me?”
I paused for a minute, finding the words. “I had a huge crush on you at the time. And I didn’t know how to express myself. I was full of myself, I was the school’s ladies' man and the one girl I had eyes for didn’t even care if I existed,”
 “And that justified what you did to me? Richard, you broke me. I can forgive you for ‘accidentally’ spilling your ice cream on me, or throwing my due assignment in the toilet, or the gum in my hair, or the glue in my chair but tell me how can I forgive you for what you did that night? Tell me!”
“What night? Nita, what are you talking about?”
“Remember when you asked me if I knew who sexually assaulted me?”
I nodded, but what does that have to do with anything?  The more we spoke, the more confused I became.
“You did and I cannot believe that you would stand there and pretend like it didn’t happen!”


Nita has spent years trying to forget the torment she endured at the hands of Richard. When her family’s financial ruin forces her into an arranged marriage, she is horrified to find out the groom himself was her bully.
Richard, a charming and successful businessman meets the first woman to be repulsed by him. Intrigued, he proposes a deal of a one year marriage of convenience.
Navigating life as a couple, old wounds reopen, buried memories surface. As Richard learns more about his wife, he finds that he has enemies that followed him from his past to continuously cloud his wife’s judgement.
Will Nita believe the truth and bury old wounds or will the pain of the past prove too strong to heal?

"I'm not pushing you away. I am taking a couple of steps back. Its up to you to want… no need to chase me." She tried to step around me but I caught her wrist to stop her.


Her gaze flickered down to where my hand held hers. I could feel her pulse beneath my fingertips, fast and unsteady.


I stepped in front of her to face her, hoping that concentrating on her face would help me but instead I was drawn to her lips once more.


I saw something in her face too – need. She may be mad at me but this woman wanted me.


"Help me." I whispered as I leaned down and claimed her lips with mine. My heart soared when she responded. A warmth spreading through my chest. I was hoping for a memory along with the kiss but nothing just a sudden yearning for more.


She pulled away from me gently and looked me in the eye. I know she wanted me but what was holding her back.


I agree I have handled our situation like an idiot but who could blame me. Nothing made sense to me.


Chapter 102 - Don't Push Me Away