Romance In Aisle 12 (lesbian)

Part 9

Sighing, Skylar lifted a hand to run through her hair, before remembering that it was up in a complicated style filled with about a thousand bobby pins. "While we stood before our three hundred guests, I decided that the thing I love most about you is your chicken Caesar salad."

The groom immediately started laughing, but when Skylar didn't crack a smile, his laughter died away. "Wait. Are you serious?"

"I'm sorry. Come on, Brad. You must have had an inkling. How often have I mentioned that I loved you? How often do I initiate contact? How often do we make love and when we have, did I seem at all passionate to you?"

Although his lips moved, it took a few moments for actual words to slip through them. "So, you're reserved. We can work on that, honey."

"Doesn't it concern you that I behave like I don't wish to be touched? You don't even ask me to sleep with you that often." Appearing thoughtful, Skylar studied his countenance. "Which probably means one of three things. One, you have a lackadaisical attitude about sex. Two, you truly are content and patient enough to help me work on being reserved or three, your needs are being met elsewhere." Skylar had her answer when dark blue eyes shifted following the utterance of option three. She discovered that she wasn't surprised. More than once, she witnessed Brad flirting with his nurses, his eyes roaming to certain places.

The blonde nodded. "Three it is."

"No. Skylar, honey, I can explain. It only happened once." He could tell by the look on her face that she didn't believe him. "I love you." Perhaps if he kept saying that, she would change her mind about marrying him. Skylar shocked him when she produced a soft smile.

"I doubt that you only strayed once, Brad, but it's all right. I'm not angry. Having that information just helps to prove that you and I should not be together."

His eyes brightened when he suddenly thought of what she shared with him earlier that morning. "You're pregnant."

"True, but it's not 1955. We don't have to marry just because I'm carrying your child. We can successfully parent and love our baby without being a couple."

"Skylar--"

"Brad, it's over." Removing her engagement ring, she offered it to him, but he kept his hands in his pockets.

"Let me ask you a question. If you never loved me, why did you say yes when I proposed?"

Reaching upward, Skylar tucked the expensive ring inside his jacket pocket. "Because my father cajoled me into doing so. I'm thirty-two years old and I continuously allow him to make my decisions for me like I'm ten. It's been so tiring and today I've decided that I've had enough. I'm exhausted being Dr. Weston Whitney's puppet, so this is the start of snipping those strings." Head cocked to the side, Skylar once again studied her ex-groom. "Is that it? Does my father have anything to do with why you proposed?" And once again, Brad's eyes shifted. "Brad? Just tell me. Let's lay our cards on the table."

Nearly a full minute had passed before he could proceed. "You know how I've been busy working on that project at the hospital?"

The project I was secretly happy about, because it meant that I didn't have to see you as often. She nodded. "Your research."

"Right. Well..." Deeply inhaling, Brad slowly released it. "Your dad was the primary reason that research happened. Without him and several of his former co-workers backing me, I wouldn't have made such leeway. He made it happen."

"For the very low price of slipping a wedding ring onto his spinster daughter's finger."

"Skylar--"