Every time someone complimented me, his grip tightened slightly.
I remembered the black dress.
The bathroom floor.
The way I’d covered my mouth so he wouldn’t hear me crying.
Now he looked at me as if I’d finally become worth showing off again.
While Ryan talked to someone from accounting, I noticed a woman near the bar watching him.
Not staring exactly.
Just watching.
When our eyes met, she quickly looked away and took a sip of her drink.
I thought nothing of it.
Not then.
On the drive home, Ryan rested a hand on my knee and grinned.
“See? I knew you still had it in you.”
I looked out the window.
“Mm-hm.”
A few days later, he came home carrying flowers.
Actual flowers.
I couldn’t remember the last time he’d brought me any.
He handed them over with a smile.
“You look like the woman I married again.”
