The undisguised misery in Janelle’s eyes at his question made Silas’s heart ache and his throat tighten. He could see she was torn. “Janelle, baby, it’s okay.” He reached for her hand and squeezed. He was desperate to get through to her and redeem himself in the process. “I was young and headstrong, afraid to bend. I didn’t realize what we had found in each other was so precious, but maybe someplace deep down, I knew. It’s why I couldn’t take that final step to separate us, because if I did, I would never be whole again. Janelle, I love you. I love you with every part of me. Please tell me it’s not too late?”
Janelle lowered her head and when she did, Silas thought she was about to say it was over, but when she looked up, he saw the tears glistening. “Silas. Don’t you get it? I never stopped loving you. It’s why I couldn’t be with anyone else. You’re the only man I have ever loved.”
“Do—do you mean that?” His voice cracked when he spoke.
“Of course, I do. It’s why I’m here. I don’t want to let another day go by without clearing the air and making things right between us. I love you, Silas Tucker.” She took his hand in hers and gazed into his eyes, imploring him to listen. “I’m sorry I didn’t take a chance sooner and tell you that I missed you, that I needed you, but like you, I was too stubborn to admit I was wrong, and I wasted so much time being angry with you when I could have been loving you.”
He kissed her mouth, her cheeks and her eyelids with light, delicate kisses. When he finally raised his head, he said, “I really want this to work, so I’m willing to do whatever it takes. If we need to spend half our time in Atlanta and the other half in Paris, we’ll do that because you come first. I’m not the Neanderthal I once was, expecting you to give up your career. That’s not what marriage is about. I don’t get to dictate terms. It’s about compromise.”
“What?” Her eyes grew wide with alarm. “Who are you? Because you sure don’t sound like the husband I used to know.”
“That’s because I’ve changed,” Silas explained at her perplexed expression. “Therapy, remember? It helped me a lot. I highly recommend it. It might help you with the feelings of inadequacy you have at being abandoned by your mother and never knowing your father.”
“You think I need it?”
“Baby, I only want what’s best for you. I only suggested it because it might help you figure some things about yourself.”
“When did you become so self-aware?”
“When I did the work,” Silas responded. “It wasn’t easy, but I did it. At the end of day, I’m still the Silas you knew, just a bit more mature. So, if you’ll still have me, I’d like to stay married, if that’s all the same to you.”
Janelle laughed. “I want the same thing.”
“Then sleep on it and if you feel the same way, meet me here at seven sharp tomorrow night.”
“It’s a date.”
Log in or create an account to read the next chapter of "Winning Back His Wife"
Every month we select a new title from one of our authors so that you can discover new stories, locations and genres for free.