Chapter 211

And then I feel guilty for making him feel guilty – and it’s all a terrible spiral-

“Oh no,” I murmur, tears slipping down my cheeks as I take his face between my palms. “We can’t live like this Kent – with both of us feeling like we’ve asked too much of each other without giving enough- He laughs, then, shaking his head. “I know that you’re right,” he says, “but I…don’t know how to ever stop feeling that way. What you’ve done, Fay -”

“It wasn’t even really that big a deal -” “It was -”

“I just…made my dad give me a bunch of companies, one of which was a shipping industry, and made my husband learn how to smuggle things – honestly, after I figured that out the rest was very easy – I did it all from my kitchen -”

He laughs then, tugging me closer and pressing a kiss to my hair. “You’re underplaying it, Fay,” he sighs. “Which is fine with me, because I know you, but if you ever want anyone else in this world to respect you, you’ll have to find a way to let them see the cold calculation behind those moves. Which I’m very aware is there.”

I sniff a little, my tears coming to an end, and consider what he says. “Um…do I want people in this world to respect me?” I ask, quiet, wondering what he’s thinking.