“I’ll be right back,” I said, forcing a smile and gently extricating myself from Enzo’s arms. “Don’t miss me too much.” Enzo smirked. His cheeks were flushed a light shade of red from the alcohol he had been drinking, and his eyes had that look in them that screamed that he wanted me again. “Oh, I
The moon hung low in the night sky, its silvery glow filtering through the billowing curtains of our room. Its luminance should have brought tranquility, a stark contrast to the turmoil within my heart. But it didn’t. I was curled up on the edge of the bed, hugging my knees to my chest, lost in a
“Nina… Follow me…” I knew it wasn’t real. I knew that it was just an illusion, a machination of my own mind. But damn it, if it didn’t feel more real than anything at that moment. The air around me grew colder, and an eerie silence enveloped the room. The chatter, the laughter, the music coming
Warm water cascaded over me as I took a deep breath, inhaling the lavender scent from the bath oils. The warmth of the tub worked its magic, slowly melting away the tension and fatigue from the evening. With every passing moment, I felt my muscles relax, sinking deeper into the comforting embrace of
Satisfied, Enzo pulled me back into his embrace. “That’s all I ask.” Wrapped in his arms, the world outside faded away, and all that mattered was the two of us, nestled together, lost in a world of our own. … The soft shuffle of movement roused me from a peaceful slumber. Blinking away the rem
The porcelain was cold against my forehead as I rested there for a moment, letting the queasiness subside. The initial shock of throwing up had passed, and now a million thoughts ran through my mind. And then there was the most important question of them all: “Could I be pregnant?” Slowly pushin
“There she is,” Lori said, placing her hands on her hips. “You’re late.” I snorted. “I’m not late. You’re early.” Jessica, the more composed of the two, gave me a gentle smile. “Ready to watch your star player?” She winked, clearly hinting at Enzo. I laughed. “Always.” “I still can’t believe
The excitement of the game always sent adrenaline pumping through my veins, but today’s energy was mixed with a bittersweet emotion. Knowing it was my last game here had everyone, including myself, a bit on edge. The locker room was abuzz with the usual pre-game chatter, players discussing strateg
Nina The warm summer breeze brushed across my skin as I stood on the patio, clutching my robe tightly around my body. Laughter and splashes echoed up from the pool below, where our friends were already gathered for our big end-of-summer party. I should have been down there too, soaking up the ve
“What... what do you mean?” He braced his hands on the doorframe, leaning in closer with a heavy sigh. “I mean, by the time I caught up to them this morning, I only saw them long enough to get that photo before they were boarding a speedboat and taking off. Hell, I’m still not even totally sure wh
Nina My breath caught in my throat as I pulled open the front door expecting to see excited party guests, only to be immediately met with the sight of Luke’s grim expression. His brow was furrowed in a deep frown, his lips pressed into a tight line—clear signs that something was very wrong. “Luk
Nina I huffed out a breath as I hoisted the oversized cardboard box higher in my arms, carefully navigating my way through the living room. Strings of fairy lights poked out haphazardly from the top, and I could feel the weight of glass jars and other assorted decor inside shifting precariously wi
Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond. “Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but
Enzo The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne. But even she wasn’
Shaking my head, I turned without another word and stormed out of the fitting room. I took the two strides across the hall to Jessica’s fitting room and knocked on the door, folding my arms across my chest. “Jess? You in there?” There was a muffled thump in the fitting room, followed by the soun
Nina “How’s it looking in there?” I called out, rapping lightly on the wooden door of Jessica’s fitting room. “Um… decent, I guess?” her muffled voice floated back a moment later, although I could sense the uncertainty in her tone. “Decent? That’s it? Come on, Jess, this is your wedding gown w
Had I really known him at all, I wondered? Or had I merely been too self-absorbed and naive to see past the facade of unshakable command he projected? After a long silence, I found my voice. “Why didn’t he ever tell me that?” “He didn’t want you to see his weakness, I suppose,” Angelica replied