“Yes, Iris,” Christian replies, his voice low and dangerous. “There are still ways to protect you. Even here, at the end of the world. I wish you’d just let me.” “Fine,” I say, my voice too light, too casual. Christian narrows his eyes, trying to figure out my game. I lift my drink to him in a lit
“They’re going to…pick a side,” Christian says, looking down at his drink, a muscle flicking in his jaw. “Really?” I ask, my voice breathy, my brows going up. “And…wait, are you serious? They wouldn’t choose you?” “My side is the losing side,” he snaps, unintentional, moving his eyes up to meet
We move out of the kitchen then, Christian making his way back to the little iron fireplace to continue stacking some logs while I head into the bathroom for a quick shower, wanting to wash the day off of me before we settle down for the night. I take my whiskey with me, wanting the peaceful buzz it
I gasp when I see what it is – one of our absolute favorites from childhood, and a start to a trilogy that I realize, suddenly, we’re going to be spending our entire evening working our way through. “This is amazing,” I say, laughing aloud, my eyes going wide as the opening credits start to roll ove
I lose myself completely to it for a second – to the feel of Christian’s mouth moving against mine, to the way his hair feels against my fingers as I slip them through his hair, to the way his hand slides down along my side with intent, with reverence. But when that palm hits one of the bruises on
“Why are you laughing?” he asks, his brows drawing together. “What on earth is funny about this?” “It’s just,” I say, dropping my hands and hoping that my face shows him how sorry I am. But still, I continue, not quite buying it. “Chris,” I say, holding out a hand between us, “you can’t say that y
Christian leans closer to me, cupping my face in his palm. “You’re real to me, Iris,” he whispers, holding my gaze steadily in a way that makes me catch my breath. “You’re maybe…the only real person in my life. Okay?” Slowly I nod, hearing him. He leans forward and presses his lips softly, almos
“Oh, well, I like it,” I say with a happy, contented sigh as I turn my head and press my cheek to his chest. “Yeah, but you’re weird,” he whispers. And I grin, and don’t counter, looking around and admiring the way that the sunlight filters into the room of the little beach cottage, falling in lov
A small smile creeps on Leo’s lips. “Yeah, okay,” he says, relaxing back against our chair. “Our secret.” I grin at my baby, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, because my boy can’t resist a secret.“What’s all this?”I turn to see Christian standing at the open door, peering into the dining
The danger. It’s…it’s far too poignant.My heart breaking, I open a private browsing tab on the web browser and quickly search for Craigslist in both this city and Athens, Greece. As I do my memory goes back to a conversation I had with Frankie, when he told me that this is the best way he knows for
I stand frozen, staring down at the letter as it sits on the little hall desk, my breath coming in fluttery little gasps.The words are very simple.There are vineyards in Greece as well. I’ll take you there.I read it again and again as my heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing with a mix of h
“You don’t know anything about my life,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, turning my eyes back down to the dishes. “I had no choice.”“You think you’re the only one who suffered?” Lucy whispers. “You think I wanted to be in this position? We were friends once, Iris. We were good to each other. Bu
“Mommyyyy,” Leo says, looking anxiously towards the kitchen door, shifting from foot to floor. “Hurry up! Aunt Bianca says we have to go!”I laugh, glancing down at my little boy, who looks so adorable in the private school uniform he wears to Kindergarten – crisp white shirt, navy blazer, his dark
But…was it? Was it me, missing Chris? Wanting to have yet another piece of him, even if I long denied wanting any ties to my past life?I look down, my heart heavy, not truly understanding what I think or what I feel.“I mean it, Iris,” Chris says, his voice steady and cool. “I’ll be a father to her
My heart sinks as I look Christian in the eyes – because beyond all hope, I had been praying that he hadn’t noticed that Leo is his son. But how could I have been so naïve? Leo looks just like him - dark hair, striking grey-blue eyes. The resemblance is unmistakable. I feel a wave of guilt crashing
“Yes,” he answers, a growl in his voice. “That should suit just fine.”I laugh at the irony in this and shake my head, looking away. “So now you want me to come back, to pretend as if nothing ever happened? You expect me to just accept this, the way things are now?”Christian opens his mouth to resp
Disappointment floods my chest, a sense of disbelief washing over me. “You think I would trust you again after everything? After how you treated me? You expect me to just come back and forget?”His eyes narrow, disappointment etched into his features. “You were faithless. I thought you’d be loyal. I