Jessica's POV
That brilliant suggestion came from Paisley.
She insisted that since he refused to touch me and I desperately craved physical intimacy, I should propose an open marriage arrangement.
The concept made perfect sense. He kept his distance from me, yet I burned with need. Physical release had become my escape, my way of managing stress. Without it for so long, everything inside me felt ready to burst.
Life had thrown curveball after curveball at me recently, intensifying my desperate need for relief. I required that connection, that release, before I completely unraveled.
Paisley suggested having a rational discussion with him, but I wanted to witness his raw reaction first.
"I want an open marriage, Caleb."
He regarded me with that familiar detached expression, his hands positioned casually on the chair's armrests. His mouth opened slightly.
"Fine."
I stared at him in shock. He returned my gaze with equal blankness.
