I take a sip of my margarita and lie back down on the beach chair by Tamara’s pool. Sighing, I remember what she told me a few days ago. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Beau will be married soon. Just the thought is hard for me to handle. It’s enough to make me want to drink, which is why I had to come over to Tamara’s, so I could do it without Dad eyeing me. I’ve been drinking more lately, and he worries.“There’s something I need to tell you,” Tamara says as she steps out of the pool.“I’m listening,” I say, putting my drink down and sitting up.“Harvey finally found out why Beau is behaving so strangely toward you.”“Really?” I ask, hope fluttering in my heart. Things might start making sense now.Tamara nods and looks at me with pity in her eyes.I wonder why, isn’t this good news? “What did he say?”“He hates you.”“What?” I ask, shocked.“Beau hates you, and Harvey says Jenny is responsible for it.”“I don’t understand.”“After Beau was discharged from the hospit
After I get word from my driver that he’s arrived, I make my way outside. The week has gone by so fast. It feels like just yesterday that I found out Beau was still engaged to Hannah. And now I’m on the way to the airport, so I can fly to Louisiana and stop the wedding.I’ve come up with a plan for how I will help Beau recover his memory. That’s the only good thing that happened this past week. Even though my plan isn’t rock solid, I have hopes it might work.Once I get outside, I notice everyone’s there to see me off. I kiss Dad, who is against me going to Louisiana, goodbye. We all remember what happened the last time I was there. And even though I assured him nothing like that will happen again, he’s still worried. I can’t blame him. He lost his grandchild, and almost me as well in the process. I’m sure he blames himself to some extent for what happened, despite the fact that he couldn’t have done anything to stop it.Next, I move to kiss Camila and Axel goodbye before entering the
“What are you reading over there?” Charles asks. It’s been a few hours since we took off. Charles apparently doesn’t care that I’m his sister’s enemy and has been talking to me for most of the flight. I think it’s because he has an interest in me, but I might be wrong.“A romance novel,” I reply, switching off my phone screen and turning to face him.“You’re a romance fan?”“Yes, I am.”“So, you must be waiting for your prince charming to rescue you then?”“No, I’m not.”“But you’re a romance fan?”“Yes.”“I’m confused,” he chuckles.I laugh before speaking. “I love romance novels, but not the typical kind you might be familiar with.”“Hmm, let me guess, you’re into dark romance,” Charles says, smirking.“Yes, I am.” I smile. “How did you know?”“Once you said it’s not the typical type of romance, dark romance was the next thing that came to my head. So, tell me your favorite book and why it’s your favorite.”“I don’t have just one favorite. I love too many.”“What if you had to choos
The following morning, I sneak onto the Williams’ estate to see Nana. Harvey says her bad days have been outnumbering her good, and she might be gone any day now. That’s why, even though Edward and Jenny will have my ass the moment they see me, I’m risking it. I don’t want to miss what might be my last chance to see her. She means a lot to Beau and has always been nice to me. I don’t even want to think about how he’s faring with her diagnosis, but he might not be struggling that much since he doesn’t have his memories. I hope he gets them back before it’s too late. I can’t imagine how torn he would be if he doesn’t get them back before she’s gone. He’d be devastated.I spent all night thinking of ways I could help Beau recover his memories. I wondered which memory we shared would be most important to him. We’ve made many memories together, but I think the shared loss of our child is the most significant. Unfortunately, I had already told him about that one, and it didn't do the trick.
Blindly, I stare at the ceiling and ponder Jenny’s words. I still can’t believe she threatened to kill my father. I have never felt more hopeless in my life.I can’t bear to watch Beau marry someone else and not do anything to stop it, but I also can’t risk my father’s life. There is no debate, I won’t risk my dad, but the price to keep him safe is a hefty one. I will have to live the rest of my days without Beau. My life is incomplete without him. I don’t even know how I’m going to function.Fresh tears escape my eyes and stain the pillow. I just wish there was a way I could be with Beau without losing my father in the process.My head turns when I hear the door opening. I was too shaken to move after speaking to Jenny, so I’m still in the room where Hannah’s wedding dress is. I wipe my cheeks and sit up to see who’s coming inside.“Yennefer,” I say, surprised. How did she know I was here?“Found you at last.” She smiles and closes the door behind her.“You were looking for me?” I as
“Gin and tonic,” I say to the bartender as I take a seat. The dive bar I found close to the airport seems as good a place as any to wait to check in for my flight.I try not to think about Beau as I down my drink but it’s hard. The last time I was out drinking because of him was the night we created our baby. Our poor child, they never got to see the world.I throw back the rest of my drink and ask for another. It wouldn’t be a good idea to get drunk and miss my flight, but one more won’t hurt.While on my second glass, I’m surprised to see Beau walk into the bar. He takes a seat at one of the booths, joining a man I haven’t seen before. What is he doing here? Even if he wanted a late-night drink, there are bars closer to the estate.I’ll have to get closer to them to figure out what’s going on. Taking a seat in the boot opposite theirs, I drop my head and use my hair to cover my face. It’s wrong to eavesdrop, but I can’t help it. Beau shouldn’t be here, and I know if I were to walk o
I play with my glass as I watch Hannah rub herself against Beau, who doesn’t seem to be enjoying her company very much, but that doesn’t matter. He’s still marrying her. I’m going to have a drinking problem by the time this wedding is over. The rehearsal dinner is tonight, and it’s going horribly for me.Everyone keeps talking about how they’re such a good match for each other. I’m already imagining how awful tomorrow will be. I can’t believe I agreed to stay. What the hell was I thinking?The only reason I decided to come tonight was because I was hoping to get a chance to talk Beau out of getting married, but all I’ve done is drink.I finish my fifth glass of wine and call the server over for a refill. My alcohol tolerance has increased recently, and I don’t want to think about how much drinking I must have been doing lately for that to happen. After my glass is refilled, I go to take a sip, but someone grabs it from my hand.“I think you’ve had enough for tonight,” Beau says, holdi
DELILAHI stare at myself in the mirror and blow out my cheeks. Beau’s getting married today. I don’t know what I thought would happen, but I didn’t think it would ever get to this point. Looking at my dress in the mirror, tears fill my eyes as it’s not the dress I had hoped to wear on Beau’s wedding day. It was foolish for me to have agreed to stay when he asked me. I must have been possessed because only a fool would stay and watch the love of their life marry someone else.Using my hands, I fan myself and take deep breaths to calm down. I don’t want to ruin my makeup. Since I already agreed to stay, I might as well see this to the end. I’m picking up my purse to leave when someone knocks on my door. I go to open it, wondering if Tamara changed her mind about meeting me downstairs and needs something before we go. But Tamara isn’t who’s standing in the hall.“Beau?” I say, shocked.“Can I come in?” he asks, smiling.Why is he smiling? And most importantly what the hell is he doing h
One Year LaterI stare at Beau’s handsome face as he sleeps soundly beside me. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe that we’re finally together. I softly peck his lips before slipping out of bed, making sure to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake him. I pick up my purse and walk to the bathroom with it. Opening my handbag, I take out the object I’ve been hiding from Beau since I bought it yesterday.How wonderful will it be if the result comes back positive?I take the pregnancy test, then set the timer on my phone and wait impatiently in the bathroom. Beau will be so happy if I’m pregnant. We haven’t been trying to have a baby, but I know he’ll be pleased regardless. We’ve spoken about starting a family one day, so I know it’s something we both want.After what feels like an eternity, the timer on my phone goes off. I pick up the test and see two lines. I’m pregnant.“Two lines!” I scream. I can’t believe it. It feels like a dream come true. I know this isn’t the first tim
I walk out of the elevator once it reaches Axel’s floor. After we landed in Chicago, Tamara and I immediately came to Axel’s apartment complex, while Beau went to the hotel with our bags. The plan is to meet him there later. Speaking to Axel couldn’t wait. His mom even texted me to say she’s worried about him.He hasn’t shown up to work the past few days and is shutting everyone out. His mom, my Aunt Caroline, tried talking some sense into him but it didn’t work. She’s hoping Tamara and I will have better luck. So much so that she even met us in the lobby to give us her set of keys to his apartment in case Axel wouldn’t let us in.Just as we’re about reach his door, I stop in my tracks. “Camila?” I say, shocked to see her standing there. She didn’t tell me she was coming.“Hi Lilah, Tamara,” she says, her voice low. She doesn’t look good. There are bags under her eyes, and her nose is red. She’s obviously been crying. If I hadn’t seen her without makeup before, I don’t think I would e
Thirty minutes later, we’re flying to Chicago in Beau’s jet. I had planned to come check on Axel even before Beau and I worked things out, and once I explained to Beau what was going on with Camila and Axel, he agreed that we should go. Axel has refused to answer any of my calls the past three days, and Camila has been worried sick about him.I would be a lot more upset about the situation if I didn’t have Beau’s support. I still can’t believe we’re here together. It’s like a dream. I touch his face to make sure it’s real.“I’m sorry again for everything I did while I was pretending to have lost my memory.” Beau says, placing his hand over mine.“There is nothing to be sorry for. I know you didn’t want to hurt me. I’m sure it must have pained you to do it.” I run my other hand through his soft curls. I’ve missed doing that.“You can’t imagine, my love. My heart was pierced every time I hurt you. I am truly sorry.” He stares into my eyes, and I can tell he means every word.I smile sof
DELILAHI stare at myself in the mirror and blow out my cheeks. Beau’s getting married today. I don’t know what I thought would happen, but I didn’t think it would ever get to this point. Looking at my dress in the mirror, tears fill my eyes as it’s not the dress I had hoped to wear on Beau’s wedding day. It was foolish for me to have agreed to stay when he asked me. I must have been possessed because only a fool would stay and watch the love of their life marry someone else.Using my hands, I fan myself and take deep breaths to calm down. I don’t want to ruin my makeup. Since I already agreed to stay, I might as well see this to the end. I’m picking up my purse to leave when someone knocks on my door. I go to open it, wondering if Tamara changed her mind about meeting me downstairs and needs something before we go. But Tamara isn’t who’s standing in the hall.“Beau?” I say, shocked.“Can I come in?” he asks, smiling.Why is he smiling? And most importantly what the hell is he doing h
I play with my glass as I watch Hannah rub herself against Beau, who doesn’t seem to be enjoying her company very much, but that doesn’t matter. He’s still marrying her. I’m going to have a drinking problem by the time this wedding is over. The rehearsal dinner is tonight, and it’s going horribly for me.Everyone keeps talking about how they’re such a good match for each other. I’m already imagining how awful tomorrow will be. I can’t believe I agreed to stay. What the hell was I thinking?The only reason I decided to come tonight was because I was hoping to get a chance to talk Beau out of getting married, but all I’ve done is drink.I finish my fifth glass of wine and call the server over for a refill. My alcohol tolerance has increased recently, and I don’t want to think about how much drinking I must have been doing lately for that to happen. After my glass is refilled, I go to take a sip, but someone grabs it from my hand.“I think you’ve had enough for tonight,” Beau says, holdi
“Gin and tonic,” I say to the bartender as I take a seat. The dive bar I found close to the airport seems as good a place as any to wait to check in for my flight.I try not to think about Beau as I down my drink but it’s hard. The last time I was out drinking because of him was the night we created our baby. Our poor child, they never got to see the world.I throw back the rest of my drink and ask for another. It wouldn’t be a good idea to get drunk and miss my flight, but one more won’t hurt.While on my second glass, I’m surprised to see Beau walk into the bar. He takes a seat at one of the booths, joining a man I haven’t seen before. What is he doing here? Even if he wanted a late-night drink, there are bars closer to the estate.I’ll have to get closer to them to figure out what’s going on. Taking a seat in the boot opposite theirs, I drop my head and use my hair to cover my face. It’s wrong to eavesdrop, but I can’t help it. Beau shouldn’t be here, and I know if I were to walk o
Blindly, I stare at the ceiling and ponder Jenny’s words. I still can’t believe she threatened to kill my father. I have never felt more hopeless in my life.I can’t bear to watch Beau marry someone else and not do anything to stop it, but I also can’t risk my father’s life. There is no debate, I won’t risk my dad, but the price to keep him safe is a hefty one. I will have to live the rest of my days without Beau. My life is incomplete without him. I don’t even know how I’m going to function.Fresh tears escape my eyes and stain the pillow. I just wish there was a way I could be with Beau without losing my father in the process.My head turns when I hear the door opening. I was too shaken to move after speaking to Jenny, so I’m still in the room where Hannah’s wedding dress is. I wipe my cheeks and sit up to see who’s coming inside.“Yennefer,” I say, surprised. How did she know I was here?“Found you at last.” She smiles and closes the door behind her.“You were looking for me?” I as
The following morning, I sneak onto the Williams’ estate to see Nana. Harvey says her bad days have been outnumbering her good, and she might be gone any day now. That’s why, even though Edward and Jenny will have my ass the moment they see me, I’m risking it. I don’t want to miss what might be my last chance to see her. She means a lot to Beau and has always been nice to me. I don’t even want to think about how he’s faring with her diagnosis, but he might not be struggling that much since he doesn’t have his memories. I hope he gets them back before it’s too late. I can’t imagine how torn he would be if he doesn’t get them back before she’s gone. He’d be devastated.I spent all night thinking of ways I could help Beau recover his memories. I wondered which memory we shared would be most important to him. We’ve made many memories together, but I think the shared loss of our child is the most significant. Unfortunately, I had already told him about that one, and it didn't do the trick.
“What are you reading over there?” Charles asks. It’s been a few hours since we took off. Charles apparently doesn’t care that I’m his sister’s enemy and has been talking to me for most of the flight. I think it’s because he has an interest in me, but I might be wrong.“A romance novel,” I reply, switching off my phone screen and turning to face him.“You’re a romance fan?”“Yes, I am.”“So, you must be waiting for your prince charming to rescue you then?”“No, I’m not.”“But you’re a romance fan?”“Yes.”“I’m confused,” he chuckles.I laugh before speaking. “I love romance novels, but not the typical kind you might be familiar with.”“Hmm, let me guess, you’re into dark romance,” Charles says, smirking.“Yes, I am.” I smile. “How did you know?”“Once you said it’s not the typical type of romance, dark romance was the next thing that came to my head. So, tell me your favorite book and why it’s your favorite.”“I don’t have just one favorite. I love too many.”“What if you had to choos