“Why not? We’re adults. We have doors that lock.”
She laughs softly. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Sure,” I agree, looking at her over my shoulder. “But I can’t wait until tonight.”
Her eyes hold mine, steady. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s not a no,” I point out.
“No, it’s not,” she says.
The espresso machine hums while Eva sits up in bed, knees drawn under the sheet, hair mussed from sleep. She watches me as if weighing something.
“You’re good for Millie, you know,” she says finally. “I hate to admit it, but you’re a great uncle. Whatever happens, I hope you’ll stay in her life.”
The words hit me so unexpectedly hard that I have to turn my back to her. When the coffee’s ready, I fill two mugs and carry them over.
“I will,” I say, setting one in her hands. “Count on it.”
She sips, staring into the steam. “I just… worry.”
“About?”
“If I can break the cycle.” Her voice drops low. “All the love I’ve ever known was of the corrupted kind, even from my parents.”
I find myself despising them already.
“I was raised in abuse,” she continues, “and then I married into it. What if I’m broken beyond repair?”
“You’re not broken,” I tell her.
Her eyes lift to mine, but they’re shadowed.
I should leave it there. Let it rest. But knowing when to shut up has never been my strength.
“You’re the most self-possessed person I’ve ever met,” I say. “So why stay with Geoffroy for sixteen years? Was it the money? A prenup that would’ve left you with nothing?”
She looks away, and regret stabs me.
I set my cup down. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
“No,” she says, placing her cup on the nightstand. “It’s a fair question.”
I wait with bated breath.
“The first few years, I was madly in love with him,” she says.
“And then?”
“Then he changed, and I thought about leaving—many times. Yes, there was a prenup, but that’s not what stopped me.”
“What did?” I ask.
“At first, Millie was too little, so frail. I thought I’d let her grow stronger before I took her from her home.”
I frown. “And when she was older?”
Her gaze drops. “When things became unbearable, I told him I wanted a divorce.”
