Page 45 of My One Week Husband
Especially when I catch a glimpse of his profile, with his carved cheekbones and soft lips, and I think of everything those lips have said to me—his kind words, his protective words.
She’s dead right. Emotions rise up in me, strong, powerful ones. Ones that threaten to break my heart all the way open. I don’t know where these emotions fit into my life. The trouble is—I don’t think they can.
I need to get them out of my head though.
* * *
Scarlett: I do have feelings for him. But the trouble is, there’s nothing on my to-do list telling me how to handle these sorts of feelings. I don’t know where to go from here.
* * *
Nadia: Does he have feelings for you?
* * *
Another glance at the man, and the memory of the last two days rushes in, bright and clear. The passion in his voice. The intensity in his eyes. Of course he has feelings for me, but I don’t think he’ll allow them to dance past a certain point. And I don’t know if they’re the same as mine.
* * *
Scarlett: He might, but he also made it clear that this thing with us exists in its own time and space, and that we’ll go back to the way we were. He was up-front about that from the start.
* * *
Nadia: Then you enjoy it for what it is, for that moment in time. Some relationships are meant to last for a long while. Others burn bright and hot for a few days, maybe a week. It doesn’t make them less valuable. They all help us learn something. Maybe this is exactly what you need to finally put all the pain of the past behind you. To understand and to see on a true, visceral, physical level that you can be worshipped, cherished, and adored in the bedroom.
* * *
I swallow past a tight lump in my throat. I’m certain she’s giving me exactly the advice I need to hear. I know, too, that I ought to absorb it into my bones, into my blood, and to act accordingly.
To be smart. To protect my heart.
* * *
Scarlett: I suspect you’re right. Also, how the hell do you know so much about relationships?
* * *
Nadia: I’m not sure I know that much. But I try to listen to all the things people around me have said in various situations. When my brother was going through heartache a few years back before he met his eventual fiancée, my mother said something similar to him. It helped him move on. So I’ve shared it with you in case you need it at some point to move on. If Daniel’s made it clear that there’s no future beyond this tryst, just remember you’ll be fine, and you’ll come out on the other side. And I’ll be here for you.
* * *
I draw a deep breath, processing her wisdom. Grateful for it, and her support.
I know how to protect my heart. I’ve done it for years. If I have to do it with Daniel, I’ll do it with Daniel.
I send one last note to my friend.
* * *
Scarlett: I’ll be fine. I’ll be perfectly fine.
* * *
Soon, I get dressed and ready, then when he’s up and freshened up too, we gather our bags and head to the lobby, running into Hazel and Elodie.
They’re lounging on the leather sofa, drinking coffee.
“Good morning, Violet,” Elodie calls out, her voice a little hoarse.
It takes me a moment to remember I’m Violet. Blinking, I fasten on a smile. “Hi Elodie. Hello Hazel. Did you have a good night?”
The blonde threads her free hand through her wife’s. “The best. Thank you.”
Hazel laughs softly, resting her head on Elodie’s shoulder. “We’re all such honeymooners, aren’t we?”
I chuckle, but it feels forced. “We are indeed.”
“Love you madly, babe,” Hazel says to her wife, then plants a soft kiss on her cheek.
“You too, sweetie.”
Hazel squeezes Elodie’s hand and my heart clutches. They’re so…real.
I want that. I want that kind of true romance.
But it’s not in the cards.
“Have a wonderful honeymoon,” I call out and we head to the airport, Nadia’s words ringing in my head like a trumpet.
You’ll come out on the other side.
I will. I have to believe it.
19
Scarlett
The Mediterranean sparkles like a cache of jewels.
The sea shows off its opulent brightness, the water shimmering like a sapphire one sun-soaked minute, then a turquoise stone the next.
With the backseat window open and the breeze blowing in, I inhale the salty sea air. “Yes, this hotel chain is looking like a gem indeed,” I declare as a driver whisks us along the coast of Nice, heading to our next destination, after our morning flight to the South of France.
“It’s hard to resist so far,” Daniel agrees.
It’s our third day of diligently assessing this chain’s potential for acquisition.
