“Done. But if there’s something. Anything, call me.”
“I’ll be fine. Thank you. Love you.”
“Love you too. I have to go,” he says, drifting further away into a world we share, but while it just casts a shadow over me, it envelops him.
Packing a bag, I take my laptop with me as stealthily as I can. There are some alternative teaching techniques I would like to dive deeper into, but Evie notices me.
“You’re incorrigible. Those kids can call themselves lucky to have you.”
If I will ever be able to.
Sadness from not having the final say in my life weighs on my chest, caving my heart in.
Every time I talk to Dario, I fear this is the time he’s going to tell me I am getting married. While my sister vehemently objects to using women to seal deals, I have accepted my fate. She fought her entire life only to end up married to the boss. If that isn’t ironic, I don’t know what it is.
I just hope my willingness to cooperate will give me what I wish so badly, to become a preschool teacher.
It’s not the first time I’ve asked a favor of Dario. The two guards will ignore my absence. I don’t know what I would do without him. He’s not husband material, but we’d make it work. I’d close my eyes to his escapades; he’d let me pursue my dream. We love each other. I am afraid he will have to marry my ass now after my idiocy.
Tristan slips once again through the walls I try to erect. Once I forget about him, I will continue my life without being constantly assaulted by what-ifs.
I get behind the wheel of Evie’s car, maneuvering it out of the parking lot and driving for the next two hours. Music floats around, something deep and soulful, because nothing helps in moving on from someone like love songs.
Alone, I give in to my weakness, a few tears rolling down my cheeks. That night plays on repeat in my brain, a broken record capturing every moment. Longing spreads through my insides, missing how good he made me feel. How free I was with him.
A marvelous dream I had to bury.
After the intense night, I fell asleep immediately but woke up in the middle of the night. I shot up in bed and freaked out, realizing what I had done, what had happened. Careful not to wake him up, I gathered my things and tiptoed out, peering one more time at him over my shoulder. He had such a pull on me, the moon to my tide, something I wasn’t supposed to fight but embrace.
I met Evie just in time to get into the car that waited for us—courtesy of her man.
I wonder if Tristan thinks about me from time to time—if I even cross his mind. My heart clenches just thinking I was someone he quickly forgot. Why wouldn’t he? I was a virgin, and I am sure he has a line of women to pick from.
He just oozes potent, seductive energy—dangerous, manly.
Why are we women suckers for men we shouldn’t want? We know nothing good will come from giving in to temptation, yet danger draws us in like the quintessential lover.
While I wanted to ignore the darkness, I sensed its vivid, seductive presence, my instinct nurtured from living among the men in my world buzzing in silent alarm.
I shake my head, willing it to stop causing me grief. I need a damn break, or I’ll go mad. Although that would be more merciful than the future that awaits me.
My sister had been long married and had a kid by my age.
My time is coming, and there is nothing I can do to change that.
Rolling the window down, the salty breeze tickles my nose as I drive down the coast. Following the navigation, I drive for long minutes down a road that brings me straight to a white house with a gray roof on top of a hill, looking like it reigns over the green and sandy landscape. Behind it, the ocean blends with the horizon.
The dreamy scenery captivates me, and I stumble out of the car. It’s the perfect place to recharge, away from civilization. I wonder, and not for the first time, who Evie’s brother is. This enigmatic man stays in the shadows, but still makes sure Evie is taken care of.
Grabbing my small suitcase from the trunk, I approach the entrance and slide the key into the lock. The wooden door opens with a light creak, causing a tremor to rock me—a thief afraid to be caught.I am allowed to be here,I remind myself to soothe my nerves. Still, it feels like I am trespassing. I should get in the car and leave.
If he’s like I assume he is, he doesn’t like uninvited guests, but something pushes me. Curiosity to learn more about him and to better understand my best friend. The door clicks shut behind me, sounding like something final that has me gulping.
As the sun sets, it streams through the large French windows, dancing on the polished floors in a colorful game of hide-and-seek.
I discover no pictures as I walk through the open living room and the stocked kitchen. Walking into another room, I freeze, realizing it’s a home office done in deep brown tones and goldenhues. By the window, two armchairs flank a small coffee table where a chessboard lies, the two king pieces staring each other down in the middle.
It carries a somber note as I approach the mahogany desk with a globe in the corner. I trace my finger along the smooth surface, huffing. Men want nothing less than to conquer the world.
