“Can we...can we take some time? To think? Maybe then we can figure out what we really want,” I whispered. Enzo nodded, his chin brushing against the top of my head. “Yeah, we can do that, Nina. We’ll take the time we need to decide what’s right for us. And whatever that decision is, we’ll make it
Nina The chilly morning wound up turning into a warm and sunny afternoon, and Enzo and I were tired of being all alone in our big house on the cliff. In a last ditch effort to inject some normalcy in our lives, Enzo and I had decided to drive into town to check out the shops, get some fresh air,
Enzo The night air was crisp but not too cold—just the way I liked it. There was something about the solitude of the open road and the rumble of my motorcycle beneath me that put everything into perspective. Nina had been going through a lot, and although I would have loved to be by her side eve
Nina I hung up the phone with my mother, and a newfound revelation began to wash over me. Maybe my mother was right; maybe I could do this after all. Maybe it would be difficult, and maybe there would be a lot of late nights spent awake, a lot of exhaustion, a lot of worries. But I think that I
Nina Enzo’s eyes widened, a glimmer of something that looked like hope lighting them up as he processed my words. Before I even uttered my decision, he seemed to realize what I was about to say. “You want to keep the baby?” he blurted out. “Yes,” I breathed with a slight chuckle, my eyes locke
We hugged tightly, our hearts pounding in a unified rhythm that drowned out the world around us. It felt as though the culmination of all our hopes, fears, and indecisions had led to this perfect moment—two souls united, committed, and excited about the challenge ahead. We were going to be parents
Enzo The engine of my truck hummed softly in the background as Luke and I sat in silence, our eyes peeled for any sign of Edward’s pickup. The dashboard clock read 11:37 PM, and we had been at this for hours. Fast food wrappers sat on the dashboard, the scent of greasy french fries and burgers fil
“Another day, maybe,” Luke said, matching my gaze. “We’ll find him. I promise.” I nodded as I put the truck into drive. “I hope so,” I murmured, veering out onto the road. “And when we do… I’m gonna kill him.” … After dropping Luke off, I parked my truck in the driveway, its headlights casting
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