Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 143870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 480(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 480(@300wpm)
“Take things one step at a time,” Mariella suggests, recognizing my overwhelm. “Today, all you need to do is relax. I’ll make some ginger tea for you.”
“Thank you.” I offer her a smile. “But can we make it to go? I need to get back to the courtyard.”
“How are things going out there?” she asks as we head to her kitchen and she puts on the kettle.
“Actually not that bad. No blood spilled, so that’s a win.”
Mariella nods as she fills the mug with water and dunks the tea bag. “You can pop over for an ultrasound this week if you want.”
“You can do that here?”
“Angelo went a little overboard when Abella was pregnant the first time,” she muses. “He spared no expense setting up a medical suite, just in case we needed it.”
“Well, that’s a relief, since I can’t leave the island right now,” I tell her. “I’d love to do one here.”
“I’ll send you my schedule this week, and you can stop over whenever I’m home.”
I thank her and take the mug, leaving her wing in a bit of a daze. I’m afraid it’s going to be written all over my face when Cristian sees me, but I just need to focus on one step at a time, like Mariella said.
For now, I walk down the corridor and out to the courtyard. Step two is sitting down and acting totally, completely normal as everyone glances at me.
“Sorry,” I murmur into my cup. “I wanted a different kind of tea.”
Cristian settles his hand on my back, watching me with those eyes that never miss a thing. I’m certain he can tell something is off, but he doesn’t ask about it in front of our company.
“We should probably get going anyhow,” Kenzie says. “I have to work tonight, but I’ll need a nap after all this food.”
I nod, and we all walk out together. Cristian and I see them off as I tell Kenzie I’ll call her later.
“You better,” she whispers as she gives me a hug. “I have so many questions.”
I laugh as Andreas ushers her into the car, clearly relieved to be getting the hell out of here. But all in all, I think it went pretty well.
“You doing okay?” Cristian peers down at me as he pulls me closer.
“So good.” I nod robotically.
Yep, that was totally convincing.
Amusement flashes in his eyes as he threads his fingers through mine and leads me into the house.
“You look like you could use a nap too,” he says.
“Actually…that sounds perfect.”
34
CHANTEL
“I have to go into the city today.”
Cristian’s words hang heavy in the air, stealing the oxygen from the room.
I blink up at him, trying to squash the immediate urge to freak out.
He’s been working from home since the boat incident because the thought of him going to the city every day made me anxious. Not knowing where Elias is or what he might do next is terrifying. But the thought of him trying to take Cristian from me is soul-crushing.
“Chantel.” Cristian grazes my face with his fingers. “You aren’t breathing.”
“I know.” I nearly choke on the words.
I hate this panicky feeling in my chest. I’ve gotten so comfortable having him here with me that I almost forgot how bad my anxiety could get.
“Talk me through it,” he murmurs.
“What if something happens to you?”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” he assures me.
“You can’t know that.”
“I know we aren’t taking any chances with security measures,” he says. “All our vessels are under constant surveillance, here and at the marina. We have boats patrolling the island and eyes on every block within a two-mile radius of our businesses. Nobody is getting near any of us unnoticed.”
“You know, it’s really annoying how calm you are about everything all the time,” I complain. “Sometimes I just need someone to panic with me.”
“Sorry, baby.” A smile teases his lips.
“Are you really?”
“No.”
“I figured as much.” I lean back against my chair and try to relax so we can have a rational conversation, though that’s pretty difficult for me right now. “Does this mean you’re going back to work in your downtown office?”
“Do you not want me to go back to work in my downtown office?” he asks.
This feels like a trick question, but I answer anyway, not caring how absurd it sounds.
“No.”
“Then I’ll keep working from home until things settle down,” he says.
“Really?”
“Are you surprised?” Amusement flickers in his eyes when he sees the skeptical look on my face.
“Yes.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be.” His thumb traces the curve of my jaw. “That’s how relationships are supposed to work.”
“I wouldn’t know.” I avert my gaze.
My first relationship turned out to be hell on earth, and the ones around me weren’t any better.
Cristian studies me as I take a sudden interest in my tea, but he doesn’t push me to elaborate.
“When do you have to leave?” I ask.