Papers Don't Lie (Lavish Love, #1)

by Maeve Hazel

For those who grew up perceiving abuse as love. There’s another kind of love that will make you bloom and not wilt.

It could be my last day breathing, and she’d still find a way to make it all about her. She only cares about herself and what people think about us—only because the impressions

“I never said we were friends. We’ll be whatever you want us to be,” I tell her, watching the way her throat throbs. “Do what you will with that information.”

“Don’t try to be a good wife for me. Do whatever you feel like doing, and that’s how you’re going to repay me, by living the freedom I offered you,” I say, meaning it. “We’ll figure out the rest together.”

“No,” he answers me with ease. “But you’re mine now, Ray. I need to know what’s upsetting you so I can fix it.”

“You were ready to give up, and that isn’t the woman I met two months ago. That woman was ready to step on dead bodies to get what she wanted, and when she told me she was giving up, I couldn’t stand there and watch as the life was sucked out of her. It was an impulsive decision, I give you that, but it was one I had to make or I wouldn’t have forgiven myself,” he says, looking me straight in the eye. “And even if I’m not a religious type of man, I believe we met for a reason.”

“But… I didn’t get you anything,” she mutters, glancing out of the window. She didn’t have to. “You married me.”

“Yeah, I know you didn’t mean to say⁠—” “Don’t put words into my mouth,” he interrupts me. “I never say things I don’t mean, Esmeray, remember that.”

“You look beautiful, Ray, and it’s not the dress, the lipstick, or the bow. It’s you.”

“I don’t care what people think. You should wear this bow because it represents you so well. You said it yourself. You wouldn’t be you without them.”

No one touches my wife like that—like she’s an object, something that has to obey—not even me.

“You went shopping with me for hours, carrying my bags all because I had a crisis. You made a room in your house only for me. You’re careful, and whenever you have to make a decision, you think about me first. You hid everything from your family because that’s what I wanted. You filled an entire closet with clothes picked out just for me, and you gave up your room just so I could feel comfortable,”

I swear I’ll buy another house if this one is contaminated with Carter’s touch.

“Esmeray, you won’t like what I’m going to say,” I tell her, folding the note and putting it back on the nightstand. “But you’re not going to sleep alone again. I’ll be sleeping on the chair. I’m sorry, but I can’t rest if I don’t know you're

“Esmeray, what do you think this marriage is? Just a cover-up so you can go be with another guy and me with another girl?” He quirks his brows at me, and I look away, not knowing what to say. “Look at me,” he orders, and I do as he says. “You are mine in every way. Your smile is mine, your body is mine, your laugh is mine. I’ll never go to someone else when I have everything I need waiting for me at home.”

Speaking of women, I don’t know what happened to my wife this morning, but I never thought I could love jealousy as much as I did. I told myself I won't do anything until she does, considering she’s young and I may be the first man in her life. I don’t want her to feel pressured to do anything just because she’s my wife now.

Her happiness tops my need for her.

“You’re my wife. There’s no point in comparing you with some face whose name I can’t remember when you’re my everything.”

“No, my beautiful wife. It’s not your fault,” he murmurs, the scent of whiskey washing all over me. His nose brushes mine, and his lips glue on mine for one second before he breaks away. “It’s not your fault I care about you so much.”

“You’re a good wife.” He smiles with one corner of his mouth. “Am I a good husband, Ray?” His question catches me off guard. I stop shampooing his hair but keep my hands there. Is he serious? No other person in this world has treated me as well as he treats me. When I’m with him, I don’t think about who people expect me to be or if something I did was weird or not. I’m me. He treats me like a goddamn queen.

“At first, I thought I cared about you because of my condition, but now I realize it’s more. You consume my entire existence, Ray.”

“Care and feel are two different things. I care about everyone. I feel for a few. And I feel for you, Ray, not because it’s in my nature, but because of who you are.”

We sit in silence for a few seconds, only drinking each other in as if our bodies are the potion of our salvation. There’s no doubt now that I’m standing

If my wife wants something, I will do anything to get it done.

“You’re my wife, the only woman in my life, and what I feel for you is the same as any husband would feel for his wife.”

“You once asked me why I call you Ray," I say and continue when she nods. “Do you know why? It’s because since you busted into my life like goddamn dynamite, you’ve been a ray of sunshine."

“Anything you wish, I’ll give you. Just ask for it, and it’s yours," I admit, wiping away a tear.

She’s the only reason I breathed after my father’s death, and if she doesn’t come back to me… the last breath I take might as well be in her presence. I don’t want anyone else by my side; I want her. And I don’t know if I’m being selfish or not, but if being selfish means wanting the person that you love back, then that’s what I am. I love her. I fucking love her, and I’ll do everything in my power to take her back, no matter what that takes. If she doesn’t want to see me, I’ll beg, I’ll kneel, I’ll do everything she asks me to do. I want her back, and that’s the only thing I care about. My only priority.

I’ll stop with the nice games and take my gentleman suit off. No one takes my wife from me. No human, no entity, not even death. Because if she dies, I’ll fucking die with her.

My love. Kai’s nickname. I can’t decide which one of the nicknames I like more because all of them have a meaning from a moment in our lives. Troublemaker because I couldn’t stop causing him problems. Ray because I was a ray of sunshine in his life. And my love because… Because.

He’d better not touch her or I’m going to change my plan of playing legal and drop him in God knows what pit. I’m the type of man who sits strongly on the rightful side, but when it comes to people or things I love, I’ll gladly pass over the line my dad carefully drew years ago. Nothing is more important than her. Because I don’t know what to do to not fall asleep, I fish out my phone and text her for the hundredth time today. I’ll find you wherever you are and I will not rest until you’re back. You have no reason to believe me, but I’ll never touch you again. I just want you back home.

Esmeray missing has ruined me. Her being married to another man—that man—is one thing that could’ve made it worse. The only thing that keeps me going is hope. Hope that she never wanted to do it and the signature isn’t hers. Hope that she never wanted to leave me. Hope that she will come back to me.

We’ll get Esmeray back tonight. I have no other choice than to find her, no

Fifteen days. Fifteen days that she’s been gone. It’s like the world swallowed her and I stand no chance to find her. My wife. I don’t care about what the papers say. Esmeray was and still is my wife, and until I get her back, I won’t stop looking for her.

“No, it’s because of what I feel for you, my love. You’re my ray of sunshine, and I wasn’t kidding when I told you that. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to you. You should’ve never gone through that. You’re my wife.”

“I searched for you every day and night, Ray, and I’d do it over again if it means I’ll find myself in your arms again.” She blushes, her chin burying in her chest. “You looked for me?” I nod, my eyes softening. “Day and night, in my dreams and with every resource I had. I’m sorry it took me that long, Ray. I’m so, so sorry,”

She’s finally where I wanted her to be. She’s in my arms, and she’ll come back home with me, where she belongs.

“If I had a choice… I would’ve never left you,” she whispers in my arms, her head tilting on my shoulders. Even with knowing that information from Raven, I still let myself exhale in relief. “And I would’ve never stopped looking for you.” She glances up at me, stopping on the doorframe, her green eyes searching deeply through mine. “Even if you didn’t know why I left?” I smile, placing a palm on her cheek. “I still don’t know why you left, and that didn’t stop me.”

Because I’ve never dreamed about living such a beautiful life, and yet I am. All thanks to the man who would turn the world upside down to make me happy. My husband.

Being in love is a strange feeling. Not because of the way it manifests, but because of how long it lasts and burns if you’re with the right person.