“No, thanks,” I reply.
He pauses at the door and turns back slowly. “A memory just hit me. The best fucking memory,” he growls.
What is he talking about?
“You came on my dick last night, didn’t you, B? All from penetration. I got you to orgasm for the first time that way.”
I should act surprised, but I’ve been waiting for him to bring this up. Honestly, I’m amazed it took so long. I thought he would have been reciting it in his sleep.
“Yeah, yeah. You’re amazing, lover boy. Now, can I pee in peace?”
He fist pumps and exits the bathroom, whistling, completely chuffed with himself. I won’t boost his ego, but it is pretty impressive, and I hope to practice it many times in the future.
My laptop rings with an incoming FaceTime from Sadie. I check the time and realize it must be the middle of the night for her in South America if it’s early here. I’m worried something may be wrong.
I glance outside where Jack is sitting with his cappuccino, reading the paper, taking in the outdoors on our terrace. It looks like he’s not even halfway through reading, so I hope he stays out there while I answer this call quickly.
“Hi, darling. What’s wrong?”
Her eyes widen. “What’s wrong with me? What the heck is wrong with you?”
I laugh, completely forgetting about my appearance. Luckily I put on a nightgown when I went back to bed. “The effect of an over-chlorinated pool.”
“Jeez, you scared me. I’m not used to seeing you looking like—” She waves her hand around. “You’re in shambles.”
I lean back to get comfortable. “Trust me, I scared myself when I looked in the mirror. So, will you tell me why you’re calling me in the middle of the night on your honeymoon? Where are you?”
“We’re in Argentina now. We arrived late tonight. It’s been the trip of a lifetime so far, but that’s a story for another time. I can’t sleep.” Her face falls, and she looks away in the distance for a second. “I need your advice, Annabelle,” she whispers solemnly.
My stomach twists, not liking the tone of her voice. “What’s wrong, Sadie?”
“Are you going to judge me if I tell you I’ve been speaking to my dad since the wedding?” My face must give something away. “I knew it.” She looks down, forlorn.
I glance to ensure Jack’s still outside. “No, darling, it’s not that. I’m just taken aback, and I wasn’t expecting that at all.” I pause, contemplating how to say this. “I need to tell you something that happened.”
“He told me about the wedding, B, and I believe him. My intuition tells me I need to talk to him. I’m not sure what’s going on with him, but something seems different.”
I close my eyes, hating being in the middle of this. I don’t want to betray Jack, he’s my husband now, but Sadie’s right. I tried to say this to Jack, but he wouldn’t have any of it.
I’ve even brought up his dad a few times since, but he dismisses the idea of talking about him altogether.
But I saw it in their dad’s eyes while in Paris… something was different.
“Did your dad tell you I was with Jack while everything went down?”
“He did. He told me everything. I think.” She shrugs. “From your face now, it doesn’t seem like you think I’m crazy.”
I try to discreetly check on Jack again. “You’re not crazy. I saw something similar when I stood there. Jack was in such a rage that he only saw red, but I saw remorse and even longing for his son. Jack would kill me if I said this, but I felt bad for him. I don’t know what it was, but it pulled at my heartstrings.”
“I know… He wants to meet.”
“I’m not giving your dad a pass for what he did, but I’m wondering if there might be more to the story. He’s clearly nothing like your mum. Wait, what?”
“Shh,” she whispers, looking back into her room. It’s clear she’s keeping this from Wills. Not that I blame her. I have a feeling he’d put a stop to all this if he knew.
“He’s asked to explain himself, and I’ve decided I’m going to hear him out. He can’t hurt me anymore, but after all these years, I still want answers. So he’s coming to London, and we’re going to talk.”
“The fuck you are,” Jack roars behind me, ripping the laptop from my hands. “Over my dead body, Sades. Not in this life or any other are you meeting that piece of shit!”
