~Alistair's POV~
"Babe, look at me," Alex said quietly. "You have always been my first choice. You were never second place in this marriage."
He said. "Not to my mother. Not to anyone. The truth is… I thought I was protecting you by keeping the peace with her. I thought if I endured it, things would eventually settle."
He let out a bitter breath.
"But instead, I let you fight that battle alone. I didn't realize how deeply it was hurting you," he said quietly. "Every time you told me you were uncomfortable, I thought patience would fix it. I didn't see that my silence was slowly breaking your trust."
His thumb brushed gently over my cheek.
"And hearing you say you sometimes slept with me just so I would pay attention…" His voice cracked. "Alis, that broke me."
My hands trembled as I reached for his wrists.
"I never wanted that," he said quickly. "I never needed that to stay with you."
