Chapter 8: Complex Contract
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"Once Davis is ruined, we dissolve this," Jack confirmed, his voice businesslike despite the intimate gesture.
"And if either of us develops… complications?" I asked, the unspoken question hanging between us.
"We're adults. We compartmentalize." His eyes, however, lingered a moment too long on my face.
Our practice sessions were excruciating. Jack insisted we needed to convince everyone we were madly in love.
"Your hand should rest here," he demonstrated, placing my palm against his chest. "And I'd typically have my arm around you, like this."
His touch sent unwelcome electricity through my body. When he guided me through a practice dance, our bodies pressed together, I felt the steady rhythm of his heartbeat quicken slightly.
"This feels wrong," I admitted later, staring at my reflection. "Using marriage as a weapon."
"Isn't that exactly what Davis did to you?" Jack challenged.
"Yes," I whispered. "And that's what terrifies me. What if I become just like him?"
Jack's expression softened. "The difference is, you're asking that question. He never would."
That night, I dreamed of drowning again, but this time, when I reached for the surface, Jack's hand was there, pulling me toward light.
