| 22 | Secrets To Keep

[ S E R A P H I N E ]

Why isn't he talking anymore?

Did I say something that upset him? Maybe he thinks I'm prying too much. Is he trying to tell me I should forget about our arrangement and just go back home?

I'm starting to think he doesn't and won't ever trust me with his other secrets. It's been minutes since I asked him if he wants to call this whole thing off. I still haven't gotten a real answer.

We're back on the second floor, alone here in the guest room he's been using. It's not bigger than the one I've been sleeping in. But it does have a better view of the pool.

I've tried to convince him that his injured hand needs cleaning up, so now we're in this brightly lit bathroom that faintly smells of him. I guess that means my sinuses are no longer as clogged as I think.

The cold night wraps around the bathroom like a tight-fitting shroud, reminding me that we're far away from Liguria and basically hiding out in this huge, modernist villa surrounded by tranquil views, thick