Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I swallow. God, my throat hurts.
“Please,” she says. “I need to know about my roots. About my mother and brother.”
“His name was Jake,” I say. “Jake Patterson.”
“Right. My birth mother’s last name is Patterson. Lisa Patterson. So what—” She stops, wrinkling her forehead. “You said ‘was.’”
I nod, swallowing again. My eyes glaze over, but I don’t let the tears form. “I did. I used the past tense because Jake is dead, Misty.”
She clamps her hand to her mouth.
“I’m sorry. He killed himself when we were fifteen.”
She reels back as if I’ve struck her. Her eyes fill with tears and she shakes her head. “No,” she whispers.
I sit silently, watching as she cries for the brother she never got to meet.
Her pain is raw and real. Tangible for the brother she never knew.
I know because I shed so many tears over Jake too.
After several moments, Misty gathers herself enough to speak again. “Tell me about him.”
I collect a deep breath, steeling myself for the onslaught of memories and emotion that will threaten to overtake me. “He was one of a kind,” I say. “A good soul. He wasn’t a sports hero or a straight-A student or anything, but he was true, if that makes sense. He didn’t need to shout to make himself heard. He had a sense of justice that was unequaled. He always tried to do what was right. That was really important to him.”
Misty says nothing.
“You look a lot like him,” I continue. “That’s how I knew you were telling the truth when River thought you weren’t.”
“Why? River knew him too. Why would he not see the resemblance?”
How do I answer that question?
Because River never looked at Jake the way I did. Never discovered all the subtle details of his appearance, like the way his nose would scrunch when he was concentrating, the creases in his forehead when he was worried. River saw Jake as a friend, a confidant, but he never studied him, never held onto every part of him as if those details were the most precious things in the world.
“River saw him differently,” I finally say. “We all did. Jake was unique. He had a knack for making you feel like the most important person in the room when he spoke to you.”
Misty sighs. “I guess I’ll never know him.”
“No, you won’t.” I shake my head. “And I’m sorry about that, Misty. You’ll never know how truly sorry I am.”
EPISODE 173
DIAMONDS AND FIREFLIES
Ariel
My mama may have named me after a little mermaid, but Cinderella was always my favorite princess. Something about her rags-to-riches story always resonated with me, and now...
I hug myself.
Am I truly living it?
Alex and I are in his suite. He’s gazing at me with those gorgeous hazel eyes. They burn into me, make me feel so...so...
“I love you, Ariel,” he says, and then he drops to one knee. “I’ll buy you the biggest diamond in New Orleans. In the world if you want. Please marry me. Please.”
“Alex, I’ll marry you, but I don’t need diamonds. I’m just a smalltown Southern girl who likes to sit on the porch with sweet tea, watch the sun set, and dance barefoot under the stars. The only sparkle I need is the light of the fireflies on a summer night.”
He smiles. “As if I couldn’t love you more.” He kisses my hand. “You’ll have all the fireflies you want, Ariel. And the biggest diamond as well. You’ll have everything your heart desires.”
I drop to my knees and face him. “All I need is you, Alex. I swear.”
He pulls me to him then, his lips meeting mine, in a kiss so fierce it steals my breath.
“Ariel,” he whispers against my lips, his own trembling in the echo of our shared passion. “You don’t realize how much you mean to me.”
“I think I do, Alex,” I reply softly, my heart beating wildly. I feel like a raggedy Cinderella, on the edge of her midnight. But unlike her, I don’t have to go back to rags. My Prince Charming is real.
He pulls away slightly and trails his fingers down my cheek. “I’m sorry I wasn’t gentler with you before.”
“I don’t remember complaining.” I smile.
“I just...” He shakes his head, sighing. “It’s difficult for me to think about the past. About...”
“About your friend who died?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
“I’ll listen if you want me to.”
“Soon. Soon I’ll tell you everything. But right now, I’m going to make love to you the way you deserve. I’m going to kiss every inch of your beautiful body. I’m going to worship you, Ariel. My Ariel. My love.”
Shivers spike through me.
His words, his touch—they swirl around me like a soft Southern breeze, caressing my senses and making me feel cherished. He stands, pulling me with him. His gaze locked to mine, he leads me to the suite’s bedroom.