Hope is dangerous.
Hope leads to heartbreak.
My tears mingle with the water.A cleansing release.For a moment, all I want is to be alone with my pain.But the promise I just made to the man waiting for me in the backyard pulls me from the darkness.
I turn off the water and step out.Wrapping myself in a fluffy towel, I catch my reflection again.My eyes are still red and swollen, but a new defiance burns in their depths.
I am not going down without a fight.
I’m going to find that damn ring and start over.
A tremor of doubt runs through me.
Can I really do this?
Can I ever escape him?
FIVE
MY EYES STING with fresh tears as I pull on the oversized navy-blue tracksuit.The soft fabric is a comforting weight against my skin.I rake my fingers through my damp hair, wincing as they snag on tangles, and gather it into a loose ponytail.
A few deep breaths.
Light slaps to my cheeks.
The tightness in my chest remains.
I long to crawl into the plush bed and surrender to the overwhelming urge to sob.
But I can’t.
Not after everything Matthew’s done.
I owe him at least a polite five minutes.
With a final, shaky exhale, I push myself away from the mattress and leave the room.The hallway is dim, lit only by faint moonlight from an open door at the other end.I descend the stairs, each step a heavy echo in the quiet house.
Don’t cry, Amy.
Don’t you dare cry.
At the base of the staircase, I round the corner.My feet carry me forward, drawn by curiosity about this unexpected haven and the man within it.I move through a cavernous living area shrouded in shadows, push open the glass doors and step onto the patio.
The scent of pine needles and damp earth fills my nostrils.Two wide stone steps lead up to a higher terrace enclosed by a waist-high black iron fence.
Matthew sits on the edge of the pool, the water a luminous expanse of blue.“Join me,” he calls out.
My heart pounds as I ascend the steps and push through the small metal gate.The pool stretches out before me, water rippling gently, shimmering in the moonlight like scattered diamonds.At the far end, a diving board stands silhouetted against a wall of tall evergreens.Their branches sway in the breeze, dipping to catch the luminous glow from below.
Matthew extends a hand, his smile warm.“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Beautiful,” I repeat in a whisper, taking his hand.
Warmth seeps from his skin to mine as he helps me down onto the concrete.
Our joined hands linger.
I could almost forget everything else.
