I walk up to the door, a full gift bag in each of my hands. I drop my bag to get the key when Giles, the driver, walks up to me. "Let me get the bag, Miss." Giving him a polite smile, I let him hold the bag as I open the door. "Thank you," I say as I open the door and he puts the bags right inside the entrance."Have a nice Christmas, Miss Ryan." Giles, the driver smiles at me warmly before he starts walking off. "Thank you, same to you and your family. Merry Christmas!" I give him a fat grin and wave at him.Closing the door, my smile drops instantly and I clench my jaw at how irritated I am. It's Christmas Eve, the jolliest time of year. I've just come back from Amelia and Kieran's beautiful house in Hertfordshire where I had lunch with them and I am lightly tipsy from Kieran's egg nog coffee punch. Everything was so delicious. Caramelized onion tarts with apples. Brussel sprouts with chestnuts & sage. Chunky roast potatoes. Crisp honey mustard parsnips. Bacon, sausage & prun
Tristan. Is. Here. In.London.Specifically, he is outside the house where I have been living in London, with another man. A man who I've just broken up with. "Taxi Delivery Service, how may I help you?" the phone operator utters on the other end of the line, but it fails to reach my consciousness.Whathowwhoso many incomprehensible thoughts are racking through my mind right now. My heart is pounding like a jack hammer at the sight of him in a long black coat, jeans and scarf. The coffee eggnog is really not helping right now. "Hi" I whisper, barely audible. My insides are flooding with nerves. A jar of butterflies has dropped inside my stomach and they are flying everywhere."Hello? Is anyone there?" The call operator speaks through the receiver. I use any semblance of my wit to press the hang up button, my fingers are shaky as I keep my eyes locked on Tristan. What is he doing here?There's a black taxi on the kerb behind him, presumably the one that dropped him off. It does
"God, you do sound like a pom, you've definitely been here too long," Tristan teases over the way I unintentionally pronounced yoghurt in a British accent. "Have not! Although the winters here are chilly, I miss our summer Christmases.""That's okay, I'm here to keep you warm."I bite my lip, loving how close he is to me. "So, what are you doing all the way out here?"He smirks at me, his gaze full of warmth. "I think you have an idea, no?" My cheeks warm as he huddles closer to my body, his height towering over me. We're standing on the end of Waterloo Bridge, the River Thames and the London Eye lying behind us like a beautiful backdrop. It's dark and the surrounding trees on the footpath are beautifully bright, adorned in blue lights. It was drizzling earlier, but it's now stopped and the pavement is mildly damp, adding to the general chill of the city. My suitcase by my side, Tristan is hovering over me as he backs me into the walled railing, his gloved hands rubbing my arms
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
THREE DAYS AGO.It's finally happening, the moment I've been planning. My special day has arrived, almost."Are you ready, Lacey?" Dad's question is a soft whisper in my ear.I definitely look ready; in fact, I look amazing if I don't say so myself. Gabe is incredible - aside from being my source for all things gossip and fun, he also happens to be a hair extraordinaire. My shoulder length ebony hair has been transformed into soft tendrils to frame my heart shaped face. Somehow it has managed to make my eyes appear bigger than they already are. My almond eyes have been given a smoky makeover and it serves as a dramatic contrast to my rosy complexion."You are going to be beautiful tomorrow."I better look good tomorrow; it's only the most important day of my life!"I'm so." I can see a trace of water in his kind, green eyes as he offers his arm to me. "I can't believe my little girl is all grown up and getting married. It only felt like yesterday when I was putting the Band-A
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 are the last person I want to see right now." I growl, my voice croaky as I remain seated on the marble floor."I know what you must be thinking, but can you let me explain?" Adam's voice breaks, betraying his panic. His hair, which was styled perfectly only thirty minutes ago, is now dishevelled. I can see a small cut underneath his right eye. Gabe hollers to get Adam's attention as he pounds on the door from the other side, "You prick! Let me in!"Adam stands against the door, pushing any force back with ease and ignores him."I'm not going to stop; I can do this all day!" His words are followed by incessant turning of the handle as he works to get in the room. "It's ok. I'll talk to him. Just give us a few minutes," I yell back. I can handle this, even if I'm trembling inside."Fine. But I'll be just around the corner. I've already told the guests to leave. Do you want your family to stay?" Gabe yells back."No. Tell them to go home." I use the chance to glare at Adam.
"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