Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 58564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
"Rue." Pippi felt obliged to give her sister an admonishing look. "The woman's been through a lot, and more than that, she was instrumental in helping Acheron leave the gang...alive."
"So?" Rue's tone was challenging. "Doesn't mean he has to pay her back for the rest of his life, does he?"
"It's complicated, okay?" And even more complicated was the fact that she had, despite all of Acheron's constant overtures, refused to let him talk about Amelia with her. The other woman needed him. She got that loud and clear already, so what else was there to talk about?
"At least tell us you're happy," Mynt said. "Swear it."
Choosing her words with care, Pippi said slowly, "This is going to sound totally clichéd, but..." Pippi met Mynt's gaze with a wry smile, adding, "Seeing Acheron get along with you guys is the one thing that's guaranteed to make me happy. So you tell me. Am I happy?"
Mynt's face broke into a wide smile. "Beyond reason."
All's well that ends well, Pippi tried to convince herself later on as she stood under the shower, the memory of Mynt cheerfully telling her to hurry up and join them for breakfast still on her mind.
On one hand, what she had told her sister was no lie. Nothing made her happier than seeing Acheron and her family treat each other with wonderful familiarity.
But on the other hand...
A frisson of fear crawled down Pippi's spine, and she found herself shivering despite the blast of hot water jetting down her body.
There had been too many unspoken truths between them lately. Acheron was keen to talk about Amelia, but she wasn't letting him. Pippi knew she should tell the billionaire about her decision to accept an extended post with Gareth Evans, but she had neglected to do so.
With her sense of foreboding only growing worse with every day that passed, Pippi couldn't help thinking it was only a matter of time before trouble started brewing.
And she was right.
When Pippi finally came down for breakfast, she was about to join everyone in the dining room when she heard Acheron excuse himself from the table to take a call. Instinct, or perhaps more accurately, it was that special sense of intuition women were all born with - whatever it may be was enough for Pippi to halt at the foot of the steps, silent and still as she watched Acheron open the front door.
As he stepped out of the house, she heard him say, "Amelia..."
Just that.
Another woman's name.
But oh, the way he said it.
He had never used such a voice with her before.
So much tenderness.
Just so damn much...that her heart broke under its weight, and pain made everything crystal clear.
I love him, Pippi realized with shock.
I love him.
Acheron.
I love him.
I've always loved him.
Acheron came back to the house and was startled to find Pippi standing at the foot of the steps, a blank expression on her face. "Pippi?"
"H-Hey."
"Do you mind if we just have breakfast on the way?"
Why, Pippi wanted to ask. Is it because you're in a hurry to go to Amelia? She badly wanted to ask the question out loud, but she bit them back, not out of shyness but because she was scared he would say 'yes.'
Acheron was relieved to see Pippi nod, and he tried not to be too visibly hasty as the two of them bid goodbye to her family. He thought he had done a rather good job at it, too, and he was right. But even so, Pippi's family still knew something had changed - something had gone so horribly wrong - and it was all because of the dreadfully blank look on Pippi's face.
Her sisters looked at each other, all of them waiting for just one to speak, to find the courage to say what they all felt and feared.
But none of them could.
Inside the car, the billionaire became preoccupied texting instructions to Charlie. Amelia had sounded too hysterical over the phone, and he was afraid she would seriously injure herself this time. He needed his secretary to find the best rehabilitation clinic, one preferably close by and unfailingly discreet.
They were only a few blocks away from the office when Acheron realized something was different.
Rather, Pippi was different, and he became guiltily aware of how he had unintentionally ended up ignoring her for almost the entire ride. "Pippi?"
"Mm?"
She was unusually stiff, her blue eyes unreadable, her silence reminding him of how she used to distance herself with silence and sought safety behind the absence of words.
But for that to happen now...
It didn't make sense, Acheron thought.
Because that would mean she was trying to protect herself from something, and he couldn't think of anything in her life right now that could hurt her.
"Is something the matter?" he asked finally.
Pippi could only gaze at him mutely. There was so much to say. So much. But she wasn't certain at all that this was the right time and place to say them, wasn't even sure if she should say them. Because what was the point if he didn't love her?