“We moved to Beckford from Brest when I was three. It’s a coastal town in the north west of France, about six hours from Paris. Papa was a French Language and Literature lecturer at the university. Maman…” My breath hitches, and I briefly close my eyes as I fight the wave of emotion. “Maman was a nurse at the hospital.”
When my heavy gaze meets his, my lips tug into a soft smile, and I reach over to run my fingers down the side of his face.
“She would have loved you.”
He doesn’t say anything, instead leaning in to press his lips to mine in a gentle caress.
“They were good people,” I continue when he pulls back. “Kind, gentle. I got my love of reading from Papa. We were always discussing our favourite authors. His favourite was Étienne Marceau, who wrote psychological thrillers. He loved trying to figure out the plot twists.”
Blake tucks a strand of hair behind my ears. “What happened to them?”
“A home invasion gone wrong. It was late. Two men broke in. The police said they were just looking for money, but it escalated.”
He closes his eyes, pain etched across his face. “I’m so sorry.”
“Quinn and I shared an apartment near the university, but we’d been there earlier that night for dinner.” My throat tightens, but I keep going. “It was hard to comprehend I’d only seen them hours before. Quinn and Rory had just started dating, and Maman wouldn’t stop teasing me about my love life, pressing me about when I’d meet the right man. She married Papa at nineteen and had me at twenty-three. They had fertility problems, so I was their only child, and I know she was desperate for some grandbabies.”
“She would have loved Tinsley,” he says with a soft smile.
I laugh. “She would have spoiled her rotten.”
We lie there, lost in our own thoughts and memories.
“I think I married Edward because my life was so unstable,” I admit quietly, staring up at the ceiling. “He preyed on my vulnerability while I drowned in grief, struggling to see past the next day. It was easy to let him tell me what I should do.”
Blake pulls me into his arms, holding me tight.
“They would’ve hated him,” I say, burying my head into his chest, shame coursing through me at the thought of disappointing them. “They would’ve seen through him in five minutes.”
“Grief and trauma make us blind,” he says, pressing his lips to the top of my head. “Trust me, I know. After what happened with Dad, and then finding Mum, I spiralled, putting Tori through hell for years. She tried to help me, but I refused to admit there was anything wrong with me. We can’t change our past or let it define us, but we can learnfrom it.”
My stomach chooses that unfortunate timing to growl, and his body shakes with laughter. “Come on, pixie. Enough dwelling on the past for now. Let’s get you fed.”
Chapter 27
Blake
The front door slams open, and Tinsley races into the living room, tears streaking down her cheeks as she throws herself into Juliet’s arms, shaking like a leaf.
“What’s going on?” I demand as I wrap a protective hand around the two of them. My stomach sinks as I take in the furious look on Everett’s face.
“We need to call the lawyer,” he grits out.
“What happened?” Juliet asks, wrapping a protective arm around me and my daughter.
“I’m sorry, Mama,” Tinsley whimpers. “I’m really sorry.”
“Shh,” she soothes, rubbing her back. “It’s okay, princess.”
Everett paces the room, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Dad knows about the two of you.”
“I’m sorry Mama,” Tinsley cries again. “I didn’t know it was supposed to be a secret.”
“It’s not,” Juliet assures her. “It’s okay, sweetie. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Daddy was so angry.”
“Did he hurt her?” I demand, the tension in my body only dissipating when Everett shakes his head.
