Entangle Me

BOOK ONE: SYDNEYHave you ever had a kiss that breathed life into your soul? That ignited a fire inside you? That sends you into the most beautiful free fall?Because that happened to me on my wedding day.Except it wasn't with the man I was meant to marry.Gabe taps my shoulder, his expressive honey-coloured eyes looking at me. "Sweetie, stop touching your lips. They are as dry as the Sahara Desert." I really should drink more water, the Xanax makes them dry, not to mention I have a bad habit of stroking them when I'm trying to concentrate. I look up from my laptop and turn to him. We've been on this plane for ten hours, and yet his platinum blonde hair is still perfectly coiffed. His trademark white silk scarf is wrapped tightly around his neck, his nails perfectly manicured. Only he can still be continually suave and chic twenty-four seven. I, on the other hand, have a thin layer of sweat, and I do not feel attractive in the slightest even with my trusty eyeliner enhancing

So many scattered thoughts are running through me as I walk as calmly and quietly as possible back to the dining hall. Is this real? Surely this can't be realHe wouldn't do this to meno he can'tThat fucking bastard. "Lacey, darl, you are as pale as a ghost, like more than usual. Let me put some more bronzer on you stat," I hear Gabe call out to me but it's just a blur, everyone else is a blur because I only have tunnel vision for one person.My entire body is numb. Could Adam, the man I've been with for six years, do this to me? Surely he wouldn'the couldn't The letter is sitting crumpled in my right hand, and it is taking all my might to not destroy it in one of the many ways I can conjure up. I stop at my seat and Adam keeps his back to me, laughing away to some sleazy anecdote Hansley is recalling."So I walk up to this blonde and ask her if she wanted to have good sex. She goes no way. You know what I said? Come back to my place then!" He is greeted by a throng of ha

"You're not serious, surely?" I scoff at his ridiculous remark. "We haven't had sex in two months, and you want to do it now?"To say it out loud is tragic. Maybe I just didn't notice, or I chose not to notice but our sex life over the years went from the Amazon Rainforest to the Sahara Desert hot and exotic to dry and welled up. He glances at my face, and looks down at the tight black material hugging my body. "Whose fault is that? Come on, you look so hot tonight. All I wanted to do tonight after the rehearsal was take you home and unzip you out of this. Obviously, things took an unfortunate turn"I put a hand on his chest to stop him coming closer. "You mean you took a stupid turn and got caught cheating the day before we're supposed to get married."He swats my hand away forcefully, a seedy grin on his face. I can smell the alcohol on his breath. "I never said break up. I just don't want to get marriedyet. Come on, your boobs look so hot, let me touch them" He traces his finger d

The etching sound that dances across the kitchen window is enough to send my back straight and instantly my eyes open to pitch darkness as a thin layer of cold sweat rests on my forehead. What is that sound, and why is Adam not rushing up to check what it is? Now that I'm awake I remember that I'm not in bed, but lying on Gabe's couch. A thick, blue duvet is covering my body, so it's no wonder I feel so sweaty. Pushing the blanket off me, instantly I feel the cool air lingering on my body. The nausea swirls wildly in my empty stomach, and my head is swimming with full-formed regrets. Why did I drink so much? Why is there a crust of dried saliva on my lips? Why am I thinking about Adam, and how much I want to see him at this very instant?In the silence, I am alone with my thoughts and it is horrendous. My melancholy hangs over me like a black cloud. I can't just lie here. I stand up in a hurry and regret it instantly. My brain feels swollen and numb, like a sink needing to be unclogg

"Business proposition?" I place the dishes in the rack and turn around, backing up against the sink. He strolls towards the kitchen with his plate, with total relaxed swagger. He's really confident, I'll give him that."Aha, I knew that would get you interested. Care to hear more?" I do. I need to know why he's back. He can't just show up out of the blue, discussing business with me without divulging what his situation is."Fine.But only if you tell me why you're back," I challenge quickly.He raises an eyebrow, his face illegible. "I don't think so. Obviously, you're not interested enough." "I'll put in a good word to Hansley." "What do you mean?"I'm having fun with this. "Well, I could either say you took me here when I was at my most vulnerable and looked after me. Or I could say you took me here when I was at my most vulnerable and messed with me." I can see a trace of panic across his face. "You wouldn't dare." He knows how protective Hansley is of me, especially when