“I wish Mom were here to give them to us.”
“Yeah. Me, too. Will you do me a favor and allow Sam to watch your back for a while? Wickham is an unstable guy, and I’d feel better knowing that Sam is with you.”
“I don’t mind. Sam’s amazing! He’s alwayssoattentive and very genuine.”
Shaking his head, he wondered if there was something else woven into that comment.
Gigi leaned her head on his shoulder, then sighed. “Enough about me and my pitiful love life. Do you really think that after one night you’ve fallen back in love with her?”
“I think ... I never fell out of love with her. I may even have forgiven her.”
“You? Forgive? Impossible.”
“It’s true. I have let the hurt and hate go.”
“Then you, literally, have to tell her everything, Will, and you have to call off your wedding to Caroline. It’s the honorable thing to do.”
“It’s just not that easy. Going back to Lizzy ... or anyone else ... means risking my heart again. Beanz is safe. Then, there’s the issue of breaking our marriage contract, and it costing me a shit lo?”
“The whaaaa?!” She set back. “Brah! A marriage contract?! With String Bean?”
TWENTY
June 21, Saturday
Once again, plaguing thoughts disrupted sleep. William could still hear the midnight whispers of years ago echo in the deafening, lonely silence. Their promises and dreams, the erotic timbre of her voice professing undying devotion and love were torture to his broken yet hopeful soul, but he had developed a system: put his imaginings to work. At two in the morning, he sat on a barstool in front of his mother’s easel and the view of the city that never slept. Furiously wielding a palette knife, he transferred his mind’s eye to canvas. His ability had come back to him with stunning ease, echoing the promise made to his mother on her deathbed.“If I find something worthy to paint, I’ll paint it.”
For the last five nights, his Lizzy-filled mind had inspired him. The prospect of having spent one enchanting night in her arms had done that. Real or imagined, the vivid image of her walking through water toward him in the moonlight may have been tattooed upon his heart and mind, but now, his muse slowly became immortalized on canvas. Keith Urban and many of their favorite songs on the reinstated Lizzy’s Playlist played as background to the dreamscape. The soft yielding curves of her body, the moon-kissed shine to her wind-swept locks flowed from his brushes and knives. Each raised edge of impasto color and light brought that frozen moment in time to life.
It was all there, every passionate heartbeat burst onto canvas in iridescent whites, blues, and gold. Her come-hithersmile tormented him; the erotic sheerness of her wet nightie and her pebbled nipples took extra care to paint. The way she breathed his name when he made love to her echoed in torturous sublimity, like song lyrics repeatedly playing in his head. His hand’s slow travel over her soft skin and the taste of her every delight caused a fruitless cold shower break.
Standing back, he took in the painting, heart aching—yet beating, yearning, rejoicing. “You can’t go back in time, Will.” He took a sip of water, then said. “But you can go forward. Follow your heart, even if she breaks it again.”
Simply put, finding her again before marrying another felt like fate. Their romance had been a soul connection from the start.
Thoughts of Beanz’s phone call this afternoon intruded into his mind. Doubts and fear bubbled up. Should he, or shouldn’t he? Why would Caroline insist he go?
“Honey bunny, will you do me a huge favor?”
“Probably.”
“I know it’s short notice, but I am stuck on this reno down in Park Slope and the client is a total taskmaster with an unrealistic deadline.”
“Did you not inform her that you’re getting married in a few weeks?” he asked.
“Duh, of course I did, but she doesn’t care. Jumping through her hoops of fire will get me a recommendation.”
“Fine. What’s the favor?”
“The art broker called yesterday, and ... and ...”
“It’s okay to say her name.”
“Elizabeth will be attending the July 2nd public auction at Sotheby’s Paris for a Seurat for us. I can’t go.”
“And how does this involve me?”
“You have to go to Paris in my place.”
