Shattered Vows

by Shain Rose

“I don’t fill voids, love. I obliterate them.”

“We’re going in a couple days, Mo. You won’t gain too much by then. Even so, I’d love you on my arm either way.”

“You’d be fine taking what your colleagues would surely classify as a big girl to an event and then proposing to her?” Maybe it was her blatant skepticism or the way she genuinely thought I’d have a problem with it that had me turning to the fridge and pulling out a cannoli the chef had made. I held the dessert out in front of me. “Open wide, love.”

“You can eat anything you want,” I told her. I meant it, too.

“They’ll put our picture in the tabloids, and I don’t want to look like I ate—” He picked up the fork and stabbed the rest of the crepe onto it while a string of Italian flew from his mouth. His other hand went to the nape of my neck. “Open, ragazza.” “Bast—” He pushed past his name with the fork, and the food was in my mouth before I could protest.

“I want you this way. Full. Bright eyed and free. Don’t change anything. Not your clothes. Not your hair. Nothing. We go in twenty, huh?”

“Are you so sure?” he threw back. “Maybe I won’t divorce your smart ass and you can deal with me for all of time.”

“Morina, I swear to fucking God, you are beautiful in your fury, and you have a right to it.” His voice came out low like someone threw it through gravel. “But if you keep this up, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here, even if you are kicking and screaming.”

“We’re not an extended one-night stand. You’re truly my wife. I care about you. I stay up at night in my room considering dragging you to mine.”