Total pages in book: 230
Estimated words: 217798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1089(@200wpm)___ 871(@250wpm)___ 726(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1089(@200wpm)___ 871(@250wpm)___ 726(@300wpm)
“I’m so sorry.” She glanced up and met my eyes. “I can’t imagine losing a sibling.”
“It’s pretty unimaginable.” I exhaled, holding her closer.
“How’d he…how did he die?”
“He was killed while documenting a war zone.”
“I’m so sorry.” She sat up straighter, no longer lounging against me. I instantly missed her warmth.
“As I mentioned at the gala, he was a photojournalist, and that was his passion. We all knew the risks, but it was still hard. The specific area he was in was supposed to be safe. He saw a lot those days, lived more lives than most of us, experienced loss the way I hope neither of us ever have to.” I swallowed, letting myself tell this story aloud for the first time. “They said it was suicide, not a war act, but I don’t believe that.”
“Maybe…maybe he witnessed too much pain?”
“Perhaps. Or maybe someone killed him because he saw too much. Either way, he’s gone, and we never even got his body back to give him a proper burial. It doesn’t matter. I just hate to think that my brother, my best friend, wouldn’t turn to me in a time of need.”
“I get that.” She set her hand over mine. “I’m sorry. Thank you for sharing that with me.”
I smiled softly.
“Did he ever see you play?”
“He came to a lot of my games.” I smiled. “He was my biggest supporter.”
“I’m sure you miss him.”
“More than anything.”
She held me tighter. “I wish I could’ve met him.”
“He would have loved you.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely.”
“Would you have introduced us? It seems like you don’t introduce many women to your family.” She looked at me again. “Am I right about that?”
“You are.”
“Yet you would have introduced us?”
“Definitely.” I kissed the top of her head.
I wasn’t just saying that because she was lying in my arms. I was serious. Pilar was the kind of woman I’d want to introduce to everyone in my life. She was kind and good and beautiful and made me feel things I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in a long time, if ever. I wasn’t sure what to make of that or where to go from here, but I knew I wanted to keep her in my arms like this for as long as possible.
CHAPTER 15
Pilar
“Someone is here to see you.” Amir’s voice made my eyes snap open.
I yawned. I must have dozed off at some point in the middle of writing my letter. Elias and Adeline asked me to write missives to children for the first day of school, which was coming up. “Write something inspiring that’ll make them want to learn,” they’d said. I’d always been a superb student, but I never needed outside inspiration to make that happen. I just did what I knew I was supposed to do, and getting good grades was one of those things. And now, at this point in my life, I still wasn’t sure how I felt about children in general, so this was an interesting exercise. I set the paper and pen aside and walked out of my room, eyeing Amir suspiciously.
“Who’s here to see me?”
“I am. I hope you don’t mind.”
My heart beat a little faster at the sound of Ben’s voice, and when I walked all the way into the foyer and saw him, I thought it would go into a frenzy. He was dressed casually in jeans and a white button-down, the sleeves rolled to the elbows. I’d never really thought much about arms. I’d always been a back girl, but Ben’s forearms were quite possibly the sexiest thing I’d ever seen on a man. And that was saying something, given the rest of him.
“I don’t mind at all.” I smiled, remembering myself, then looked at the bag he carried. “Did you bring food?”
“Wine, cheese, and ham.”
“That sounds wonderful.” I looked at the dining room, but it seemed too boring and formal. The kitchen could work, but the chefs were nosey and congregated there, and I’d rather not have an audience. Finally, I turned to my bedroom. It had ample space and a sitting area as well as a balcony—and memories of what we’d done there. I felt myself blush and pushed the thought away quickly. “Amir, will you have someone bring us plates, a bottle opener, and—”
“Glasses,” he said. “I’m on it.”
A few minutes later, Amir walked in with those things and set them on the table before signaling to me that he’d be around. I thanked him and waved as he closed the door behind him. Ben stood by the window, looking out at the ocean beneath us.
“Do you want to open the doors?” I moved to do just that, but he took over and pushed them wide. He then moved the table a little closer to the balcony. I grinned. “Perfect.”
“I think so.” He smiled at me, and I got the feeling he wasn’t talking about the outside view.