Chapter 3

Patrick threw the order at me like it was owed to him.

When I didn't move fast enough, his face turned ugly and he shoved my shoulder, hard.

"Luna, I'm trying to fix this for you!"

"If it weren't for me putting in a good word, Diana wouldn't even give you the chance to grovel and apologize! Don't be so ungrateful!"

"Apologize? For what? Is it a crime to wish her a happy birthday?"

"Of course it is! You're dragging Diana's name through the mud!"

"Fine. I'll apologize. But you take back the hundred rose quartz roses. You take them back, and I'll believe there's nothing between you two."

I watched his face, testing him.

Patrick shot me a look, impatient and full of resentment. "Luna, when did you turn into this? Clinging to some petty little nothing."

"Three years of marriage, and I brought you all those rose quartz roses. You didn't even want them. You just packed them away in a box. Diana likes them, so I gave them to her. What's the problem?"

"Can't you act like an adult? You're making it impossible for me to hold my head up in front of the crew."

He was talking to me and looking at his phone at the same time.

I followed his eyes and only then saw that he had a video call running.

On the other end of the screen were several people from the expedition-leader crew. And Diana.

They were watching me and Patrick square off like it was theater.

When they saw I'd noticed them, no one flinched. They just grinned and called out to me. "Hey, his wife, we've got a bet going with Captain Walker here. We're saying he's whipped."

"Don't you dare go soft on us. Don't let him off the hook."

"The stakes are, whoever wins gets a kiss from Diana."

The blood in my veins ran backward.

So that was it.

So that was the real reason Patrick had to have the money, the real reason he was forcing me to my knees to apologize.

He was doing it for one kiss from Diana.

Held up against that, I looked so worthless. So cheap.

I closed my eyes and forced the tears back.

Then, slowly, I opened them. "I don't care what you want the money for. But Patrick, I gave you three years. I ate the hard days with you, suffered right beside you. Every cent of your savings goes to me. I've earned it."

Patrick didn't want to lose face in front of Diana. He said impatiently, "Fine, fine, it's all yours. Just get it out for me. Call it a loan, okay? I really need it right now."

"Go borrow it from someone else. I'm leaving. After this, we're done."

"You mean that?" For the first time, Patrick actually looked at me.

I nodded.

He frowned, about to say something, when Diana's voice came through his phone. "It's fine, Captain Walker. I didn't take Luna's little misunderstanding to heart. Don't make her apologize."

"Otherwise you'll be fighting over me, and it makes me look like I make a fuss about everything."

"Come back already. The cake's here. The party won't be any fun without you."

"Luna, it's my birthday today, so I'm the one who calls the shots. Just lend Captain Walker to me for one night, okay? He can come home and make it up to you tomorrow."