AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘I do.’
Her eyes widened, her lips parted. ‘But it’s not too late. We’re only a couple of days out of Valencia. Surely you could fly me back? Take me anywhere,’ she pleaded. ‘Just not there.’
‘I’ve already told Anton you’re on the way.’
She recoiled as though he’d slapped her. ‘What?’
‘It’s done.’
‘It’s not done,’ she whispered, but tears filled her eyes and his gut rolled. He hated himself then, and the promise he’d made Anton.
‘But I believe that facing your family and at least explaining to them—’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’ She wrapped her arms around her torso, shivering, her beautiful face radiating tension now. ‘Imagine if your father was still alive and someone was taking you to him, telling you that it’s always better to face your demons, to forgive and forget, would you?’
Despite the fact it was a hypothetical and he’d said he didn’t deal in them, he blanched at the very idea.
‘See?’ she asked with a hollow laugh. ‘Isn’t that just the slightest bit hypocritical?’
‘My father was a monster. Your family is not.’
‘No, they’re not monsters. They’re wonderful, beautiful, loving, selfless people.’ She stared at him for several long seconds so he thought she might be about to reveal something to explain why the hell she’d run away, what had motivated all of this. But instead, she shook her head slowly, looked at him as if he’d just slaughtered a cat in front of her, and left without another word.
CHAPTER SIX
FOR TWO DAYS, she ignored him. Two long days and nights. Every now and again he’d catch a glimpse of her, moving through the boat, going to get a book, or watch a movie, or to swim, but she never looked in his direction, even though she must have known he was there. It was as though she was going out of her way to avoid the briefest eye contact. She ate in her room—an unnecessary precaution because, having realised she wanted to avoid him, he would have given her the space necessary to do just that regardless.
After they’d slept together, he’d returned to his office to see a message from Anton on the screen.
You have no idea how relieved we are. I knew I could trust you with this.
The words had hit him in the chest like a grenade.
He’d agreed to help his friend without a moment’s hesitation. Of course he had. Having heard only one side of the story, and never having met Amelia, he hadn’t given her a second thought. His mind had filled out the facts necessary to make his peace with the whole concept and he’d set things in motion.
But she was under his skin now, a living, breathing, feeling human who had made it perfectly clear over and over again that she didn’t want to return to her family.
He didn’t agree with that choice. Regardless of Anton’s request, he still believed it was better to face things head-on, particularly with people you loved. Knowing how he’d loved Sasha, understanding that there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, he recognised the pain Amelia’s parents were feeling. He’d wanted to help.
But what authority did he have to control Amelia’s life?
She was right.
He didn’t know anything about her circumstances. He had no idea what had motivated her to leave in the first instance. Forcing her home might make things ten times worse.
And if it did? Was it enough to be with her? Could he stand by her side as she faced whatever it was she feared? Could he offer her that at least? Was it a way of assuaging his conscience, just as she’d accused him of? And would she accept?
With a sense of determination that spurred him to take a step he’d never thought possible, he reached across his desk, picked up the photograph and moved through the ship, in search of Amelia and, he hoped, some form of redemption.
‘Do you have a moment?’
Amelia startled, the sound of being spoken to directly after days of silence making her jump out of her skin.
The sight of Benedetto, whom she’d been forcing herself to avoid so much as looking in the direction of, made her skin flush and her heart race as a whole host of memories slammed into her. She blinked away quickly, staring instead at the dusk-lit ocean.
‘There’s something I want to explain to you.’
It was childish, but she still didn’t speak. Partly because she didn’t trust herself to. Her voice was hoarse from disuse anyway, but emotions were also crowding in around her.
