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He trailed off, leaving me hanging as to what I meant to him, and my heart soared to a new height. Any lingering anger melted away. How could I be mad at him when he’d been through that?

“I got scared,” he said, dropping his hands from my waist. “All I could think was, what if the same thing happened to you. I couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt, and I wasn’t there to protect you.”

Warmth flowed through my veins. I couldn’t remember ever feeling as safe as I did at that very moment. But a little voice in the back of my head said that just because something awful had happened to Amy, it didn’t mean the same thing would happen to me. It wasn’t a reason to hold me back.

“Jacob, I’m really glad you told me, but I’m not Amy. I wouldn’t-”

“I know, angel,” he said, silencing me. “I know you’re not Amy, and I know what happened to her might not happen to you, but it doesn’t mean I won’t worry. In fact, I think I would make myself ill with how much I would worry. But I want you to be happy, and I promised to take care of all your needs, so I thought I would offer you a compromise.”

My brow quirked. “A compromise?”

His affectionate smile stretched across his lips. “Yeah. You can say no if you want, and if you do, I’ll figure something else out, but…”

Nerves flickered in his eyes before he reached for the door handle and pushed it open, waving for me to go inside. I stepped across the threshold, my jaw dropping.

He’d turned the enormous room into an art studio.

Easels stood side by side, holding blank canvases waiting to be covered in colors and ideas. Along one wall was a long desk filled with a variety of art supplies: pens, pencils, chalk, oil paint, charcoal, wax, acrylic paint, paintbrushes of different sizes...everything an artist could need.

My gaze darted to every item before roaming over the walls, realizing that they hadn’t been painted white, but huge murals hung on them, blank and ready to be drawn on and painted.

Jacob stepped up beside me, glancing around as well. “I know you said your dream had been to go to an art school, but, angel, the thought of you going to college where I can’t look after you terrifies the shit out of me. So, I thought, maybe-” He swallowed, uncertainty crossing his features. “I thought if I could bring an art school to you, then you’d be content to stay here and not go to college.” I let my eyes take in the room again, my mind already racing with what I wanted to draw, my fingers twitching with the need to pick up a paintbrush. “That’s not all,” Jacob added. “I’ve spoken to a guy who runs a gallery in town. He said he’d be happy to look over any paintings you do and give you feedback. He also said if he feels your paintings will sell, he’ll display them in his gallery.”

My mouth dropped open, tears of happiness pricking my eyes. Having my work shown in galleries was a dream come true.

Before I could stop myself, I threw myself into Jacob’s arms and allowed my tears to fall. “Jacob, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

His arms came up to wrap around my lower back. “I take it you’re happy with my compromise, angel?”

I leaned back to grin up at him. No, I wouldn’t get to college, nor would I graduate or have any qualifications, but did that matter when I finally had an opportunity to do what I really wanted to do?

The college I’d been set to go to didn’t have an art department, and my mother had insisted I study human development so I was prepared for when I had children. What Jacob was offering was a million times better than going to a college to study something I didn’t have an interest in.

Swiping my tears away, elation ran through me. “I don’t think happy describes what I’m feeling right now. Thank you, Jacob.”

Tension oozed out of his body, and a bolt of pride swept through me at knowing I’d made him relax by accepting his compromise. The last thing I would have wanted was for Jacob to worry about something happening to me, like it did to Amy.

This way, we would both be happy.

“Can I get started now?” I asked, somehow refraining from bouncing on the spot.

Jacob’s dazzling smile sent a tremor down my spine, landing in my core. “Of course, angel. Just don’t forget dinner will be served at 7.30.”

“I won’t,” I replied, my gaze focused on the pot of pencils.

Jacob kissed my head before heading to the door, but he paused when he reached it, calling back to me and stopping me from grabbing the pencils. “Oh, angel?” I turned back to face him. “Wallace saw you trying to get into my office earlier. Was there something you needed?”

Guilt bubbled to the surface, but I shoved it down and kept my expression cool. “No, I didn’t need anything.”

Satisfied with my answer, Jacob grinned before leaving me to the art supplies, and as I picked up a pencil and crossed to the canvas, elation rushed through me at not wanting to get off the island anymore.

Chapter 12

Lost in my new art piece, I almost missed dinner. I would have done too if it hadn’t been for the rumbling of my stomach, reminding me that I’d only eaten half a bowl of pea soup in the last twenty-four hours.

I rushed to the bedroom, changed into the cute summer dress Jacob had chosen for me, and headed down to dinner. I couldn’t even be mad about him choosing my clothes; spending the afternoon drawing had lightened my mood significantly.

Dinner was a delicious meal of beef Wellington, and despite Jacob’s attempt at starting a conversation, I was too hungry to talk; instead, I scoffed my dinner like it had been a whole week since I’d last eaten rather than just one day.