His Fake Wife, Her Real Voice

he wasn' t just a body in a bed; she was a per

e?" I whispered

like I' m a piece of furniture, the nurses gossiping about their love lives,

" I said

d who' s already given up. Now, liste

hat

etween my shoulder blades. It' s be

he first requests

in your own mind, and your first com

s on end, an itch becomes a form of psycholog

"Alright,

led her onto her side. Her body was limp, dead weight. It felt wrong. I

rected in my head. "Higher. To the ri

en to, a woman who was technically my wife, while sh

the door

r eyes wide. I was half-leaning over Nicole, my hand u

eared his throat, a knowing, sl

s a difficult time. It' s important to... be patient

ympathetic nod and qu

nd back like I

cole' s voice dripped with sarcasm in

" I shot back, my face hot with emb

where I