I wake up far earlier than Christian does. Or, well. Perhaps “wake up” is a loose term here, as I’m not sure that I actually ever fell asleep. But there comes a point when the windows shift from black to the dark, eerie blue of dawn and I know that sleep has eluded me for the entire night. So I
He smiles again, though I can see him fighting it, as he gives me a grateful nod. “Well, if it would be no trouble, ma’am, then sure. A cup of coffee would do me good.” I smile back at him, pleased at the idea of doing something good, and start down the stairs into the dark kitchen. I turn on so
When I come back down the stairs, I see that Frankie is fully up on the island now, his legs crossed beneath him as he sips his coffee. And I can’t help it. I burst out laughing as I cross the kitchen to the fridge to take out the cream. “Are you allowed up there?” I ask, sending him a grin over m
Frankie raises his eyes to mine again. “Well, whatever happens,” he says quietly. “I’ve still got your back.” “Thanks, Frankie,” I say, giving him a warm smile and raising my coffee up cup for a toast. Frankie laughs a little and raises his own, clinking it against mine. We’re quiet for a moment
To my shock, Nico doesn’t say a word as his eyes lock on mine and Frankie’s hands, still joined together. Instead, he just rolls his eyes and continues into the room, heading for the fridge. As he walks, Frankie quietly drops my hand, laying his flat on the countertop instead and leaning back agai
Thirty minutes later when we come back up the stairs, Bella and Ricky run off to their individual rooms to get changed for the day and I use my foot to tap on Giana’s door, balancing a content Caterina on one arm and a second cup of coffee in the other. Giana turns to me with a smile, looking like
The room is silent for a long moment. So long that when I look up at Giana, I’m horribly worried that I’ve said something really offensive – that I’ve gone too far. But when I see the tears starting in her eyes, her red face, I realize that she just has no idea what to say. “Why are you being so
“What?” I sputter, my eyes flashing between them as Christian turns to me and Lucy goes rigid in her place on the floor, her eyes going wide. “What the hell is going on here!?” Christian’s hand softly drifts away from its place on Lucy’s head. “Iris,” Christian says, turning towards me seriously
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