Chapter Thirty-Nine

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, my brows furrowing in confusion as he raised his hand and handed me the keys to the house.

“This is the house I’m gifting to you for our marriage,” he explained.

“Oh, I can’t.” I gasped, giving the keys back to him. “You know I can’t take it, Damien. We’re not going to be married for very long. This is too much.”

“Lauren, you’re going to take it,” he argued, moving back so that he would not take the keys from me. “If we ever do get divorced later, I don’t want you to start over from a difficult place. You now have a place to stay for the rest of your life with your mother.”

“It’s too much. Maybe something smaller could suffice. Besides, I didn’t get you anything,” I admitted.

I had not held it in mind that I was supposed to get him something, and the shame of it would not let me take the house.

“Lauren.” He held me by the shoulders and shook his head. “You will not reject it.”

There was silenc