Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
The woman she had met at the restaurant?
She was his mistress alright, and an extremely well-paid one at that, for Laverne knew of his sickness and the risks came with it.
The last time I had been with her was eight months ago, and I hadn't even spoken to her until that night.
And as for that other girl from his past...
A childhood friend who had been born with HIV, and he had loved her from the very start. Enough to give her his ring. Enough to trust her completely. And he had paid for it with his life.
She remembered how his voice had faltered at admitting this, and GOD OH GOD she hadn't been able to do anything.
A stronger woman would have stopped him from talking. Would have wrapped her arms around him and told him that none of it changed anything. Would have done anything except sit there like an idiot.
I'm so sorry.
When it was him that his pain should have rendered helpless, it was her that had become immobile with shock. She had been so damn weak that it had forced him to become strong for her—-
I'm so sorry.
She remembered the unusual clumsiness he had displayed as he moved towards the door, and the tears fell harder and faster. She remembered the stiffness in his voice as he spoke his last words—-
I'm sorry for deceiving you. I know it's a lot to process, and having me around is just going to make things harder.
He hadn't even given her a chance to say anything back. Had probably known that if he did, she would only have ended up saying something they would both regret, do something that would make the truth irrefutable, and the truth was that she was WEAK.
I'm so sorry.
Diana tucked her knees under her chin, hugging them tighter to her chest, but it did nothing to ease the coldness spreading inside of her, and over and over she couldn't stop sobbing the words in her mind.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
She had the craziest urge to punish herself for her weakness, to knock her head back repeatedly against the wall behind her until her skull was crushed. She just had this crazy, crazy urge to cause herself pain, the way she had hurt him.
Maybe Esther was right, she thought dully. Maybe she really was nothing but a stupid, cowardly fool, and she was better off having someone else control her life.
Maybe...maybe that way, she wouldn't end up failing the people who trusted her to be strong.
God, help me.
Please.
I'm begging You.
Please.
Help me.
Please.
I need You.
Her
Don't Worry, Baby by Rachel Fannan
DIANA TOOK HER TIME walking.
Miami was just as sunny as she remembered it, a city she had enjoyed very much but had never quite felt like home. And it had been the same with Athens, Diana thought absently. Even with all the years she had spent in Greece's capital, her soul had always felt lost and unsettled, and it was only when she realized her purpose that everything had clicked.
Home was where she could be of most help, and for some time, that had been what Helder Meer was to her.
Now...things had somehow changed.
A helpless smile broke over her lips when she saw the staff all lined up in front of Damen's building, half of them reception while the other half was security.
A man stepped up as soon as she reached the foot of the steps, bowing deferentially as he greeted her. "Good afternoon, Ms. Leventis. Your brother's expecting you."
Her smile widened into a grin. "Of course he is." And it was just as she expected. "Did he have to cancel any meetings to make it back here?"
"Aaaaah..."
"I'll take that as a yes," Diana concluded ruefully. "Anyway, thanks for the, err, grand welcome, and I'll see myself up."
A worried expression flitted over the man's face. "We were instructed to escort you—-"
She shook her head at the offer, saying, "It's fine. I can handle going up the elevator on my own, I promise." And because this was something she had done for ages, she beat a hasty retreat after her words, leaving them no chance to make their case.
Damen was already waiting for her when she made it to the penthouse floor, hands clasped behind his back. Tall, dark, and handsome, he was one of the richest men in the world, and - if his rivals were to be believed - he was said to be one of the most ruthless as well.
Whether that was true or not, however, didn't really matter.
For Diana, he was just Damen, the big brother who had always cherished and protected her.
And right now, Diana thought with a gulp, she needed him more than ever.
Clearing her throat, she tested a tentative smile at him, saying simply, "Hey."
His handsome face immediately softened, and she breathed a sigh of relief as his arms opened. She ran straight to her brother's embrace, and her eyes closed as his hard arms closed around her. Damen always made her feel safe, and no matter how old she got, she didn't think that would ever change.