Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 132649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Iris stifled a laughed at the question and shook her head, unable to resist the plea.
“Where did you stop reading?”
He told her and—because she missed him as much as he claimed to miss her, because it was dark and she was lonely, and because this felt like a warm, safe cocoon made just for the two of them—Iris started talking.
Trystan
Is it true you’ve been stepping out with Henry Cavill? 🤔
Iris
I should be so lucky 🥵. Have you really been having secret coffee dates with Rihanna 😲
Trystan
She wouldn’t be caught dead with my sorry arse 😩 😭 💔
Iris
🤣🤣
Iris
Moscow looks cold 🥶
Trystan
I’m fucking freezing my nuts off and Quinny is driving me insane with this ridiculous schedule🤬
Iris:
I’m sorry 😔
Trystan
No. I’M sorry. I sound like a whiny bitch, I know. It’s been a long month. I’m exhausted.
Iris
Still not sleeping well?
Trystan
I only get a decent night’s sleep after talking to you. You?
Iris
…
Iris
…
Iris
…
Iris
Same.
Trystan
What are you doing RIGHT now?
Iris
Random. Lol. I’m in Gunnersbury Park having a ham and cheese sandwich. It’s cold af. Winter is coming.
Trystan
A GOT reference? Dated. And lame.
Iris
Are you still salty because they didn’t cast you as Jon Snow?
Trystan
Don’t believe everything you read in the tabloids, Iris!
Iris
Oops, sorry. You’d think I’d know better by now.
Trystan
It was Robb Stark.
“My mum always makes the same meal my first night back,” Trystan confided two weeks after that initial phone call to Iris from Madrid. “Sausages with onion gravy and mash. It was my favorite back when I was an ankle biter. Nobody makes it like Mum.”
He always called Iris at the same time every night, even though his time zone kept changing with each subsequent stop on his tour. He’d been to ten countries throughout Europe and Asia in fourteen days. It exhausted Iris just thinking about it. He was currently in Cairns, his hometown. It would be a four-day stop, allowing him and his team time to rest and Trystan to spend time with his family.
Hunter Quinn had grabbed the opportunity to fly over to Christchurch to visit his parents and Chance had been temporarily relieved of duty as well, allowing him time to visit the few friends and acquaintances he had left in the Northern Territory.
“Do you have any special plans?”
“Nah, maybe have a barbie with some old schoolmates tomorrow. But nothing special.”
“You must be happy to be home,” she said with a smile.
“I’m not home.” The sudden, overwhelming sadness in his voice made her heart stutter in her chest.
“Trys—”
“Iris… Home is where you are.”
“You shouldn’t say things like that. Why would you say that?” she asked in an appalled whisper, tears welling in her eyes. This was the first time, since they’d resumed communications, that he’d brought the conversation back to this place.
“Because it’s true,” he replied. “What do you think we’re doing here? With the calls and the texts?”
“We’re friends…”
“No,” he said, his voice low, vehement. “Fuck that, Iris. We’re not friends. If you think we’re friends you’re lying to yourself. I can’t sleep unless I’ve heard your voice at night. And when we’re not in the same time zone, I listen to your voice notes on repeat after I crawl into bed at night.
“Tell me that it’s not the same for you. Every single one of your texts brightens my day… I dare you to say that you don’t feel the same way about mine. This is not about friendship. I have enough friends. But I only have one you.”
“You don’t have me, Trystan.”
“If that’s true, then what are we doing here?”
“I don’t know.”
“I…” He stopped talking and they lapsed into silence. When he spoke again, she could hear the heaviness and despair in his voice. “I have to go.”
“Trystan—”
“If you can’t forgive me for my stupidity and weakness, Iris, tell me now. And I’ll stop bothering you.”
Iris hesitated and before she could speak, he sighed.
“I guess that’s it then.”
He hung up before she could reply.
Iris
You stopped calling and stopped texting. I miss you. I never said I couldn’t forgive you, Trystan. I think I fully forgave you the night you laid your soul bare on Mike Holmes’s ridiculous couch. I just don’t know how we could work. And after what happened the last time… I’m absolutely terrified of taking that leap of faith with you.
The message remained unread.
“I’d like to state—for the record—that I think this is a terrible idea,” Chance drawled, as he watched Trystan lift his hand to knock.
“Noted. I want you to talk to Brand about beefing up security in this building. It’s disgraceful how that kid just let us in without even checking if we really belonged here.”
“Worked in your favor though, didn’t it?” Chance pointed out, and Trystan glared at him, recognizing the hypocrisy in pointing out a flaw that he’d just used to his own advantage.
“I don’t mean any harm,” he said.
“Iris might not agree.”