“Just…say as little as possible, Iris,” Nico murmurs, glancing at me. “No problem,” I reply, my answer dry. He huffs a tiny laugh at me and then steps forward, opening the door for his Don and his Donna, stepping inside. The house is quiet, but it doesn’t take long to find people. We move quic
“Iris,” Christian scolds, frowning at me. “You don’t need that. Besides, you shouldn’t mix it with the drink.” I look at my husband seriously for a moment, wondering what it is that stopped him really, when Frankie snaps the tin shut and slips it into my hand. “For later, then,” he says, speaking
Absurdly, uselessly, I spend the next few hours cleaning. It’s not like the kitchen is actually dirty – it’s clearly been cleaned within the past couple of days. But still, I find the supplies beneath the sink and get started scrubbing – putting things in order, letting my thoughts fade away as I
Ricky pulls himself up on a stool too as I clench my jaw against my tears and start to make plates for the two of them, wanting quiet desperately to do something kind for them and haunted by the fact that nothing I do can really ever put a dent in the sadness of this day. The children are quiet as w
The sobbing pauses a little, deteriorating into sniffs. “Who is it?” “It’s me. Um, it’s Iris,” I call. There’s a long pause and then a low laugh. “Fuck off, Iris.” I sigh, something about Giana’s words giving me the courage to quit being polite. I reach for the handle, twist, and push open the
“You have to eat,” I say, shrugging. “I fed the kids. They’re working their way through a gallon of ice cream now.” She laughs a little, genuinely, and then raises a hand to her mouth in surprise – like…like that’s the first time she’s done that since she found out that he’s dead. And she wasn’t a
“I’m not a monster, Iris,” Christian repeats, a little frustration coming into his voice as well. “I’m just doing what I need to in order to keep us safe.” “And do you seriously think that Giana is the threat?” I snap, turning towards him with a frown. “A woman who just lost her husband, her life,
“Where are Nico and Frankie?” I ask quietly. “They’re doing their jobs,” he replies, his slightly raised eyebrow letting me know that I don’t need to know any more than that and shouldn’t ask. But it has the opposite effect. “Christian,” I groan, leaning hard against the counter as I shake my he
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