Iris“Do you want some wine?” I ask, locking the door behind us. The apartment is quiet, just the soft hum of the refrigerator and Miles’ nightlight spilling into the hallway from his partially open bedroom door. Emi was waiting for us when we arrived, and quickly left once she saw Arthur enter behi
“I want to taste you,” I whisper, pushing him gently onto his back.Arthur’s eyes fly open, watching as I move down his body, placing open-mouthed kisses along his chest and stomach. When I take him into my mouth, his hand flies to my hair, fingers tangling in the strands.I remember what he likes—t
Iris POVPregnancy Test Result: Single Live Intrauterine PregnancySpecies Test: 99% Probability HumanAlone in the doctor’s office while she got me some medicine, I read the simple lines of text several times before they truly made sense.I was carrying a child.I looked at the second line again, a
Iris POVI waited for an answer, but Arthur just looked at me, his expression going from cold to unreadable. I was going to insist he say something when someone knocked loudly on our door. Arthur turned and opened the door wide, smiling his professional smile as several people came through.I recogn
Iris POV“What?” I asked, though I wasn’t any more shocked than I had been before opening the door.Life had lost its context. This was just something on top of what had already occurred.“May I come in?” she asked even as she strode past me with a whip of blond hair and whiff of expensive perfume.
Iris POVMy friend and former senior classmate Brian Eldridge was standing there in a tuxedo, his salt-and-pepper hair, which was usually a sort of disheveled halo around his head, had been neatly combed, and his typically paint-smeared hands were clean and with shiny, recently manicured nails.“Bri
Arthur POVI woke up in my office lounge, my neck stuck to the leather and my whole body cold. My mouth tasted like stale champagne and way too much small talk.A gentle knock on my office door got me sitting up on the couch. “Come,” I said.My assistant, a solid beta named Jose, entered my office a
IrisFive years have gone by since that fated day. Five years, and hardly a day has passed that I haven’t thought about it, about the pain that I felt in my chest I drove away from that house and the way my tears blurred the streetlights all around me.But life goes on.It’s been two years since I l
“I want to taste you,” I whisper, pushing him gently onto his back.Arthur’s eyes fly open, watching as I move down his body, placing open-mouthed kisses along his chest and stomach. When I take him into my mouth, his hand flies to my hair, fingers tangling in the strands.I remember what he likes—t
Iris“Do you want some wine?” I ask, locking the door behind us. The apartment is quiet, just the soft hum of the refrigerator and Miles’ nightlight spilling into the hallway from his partially open bedroom door. Emi was waiting for us when we arrived, and quickly left once she saw Arthur enter behi
“To new beginnings,” Arthur says softly, clinking his glass against mine. I smile and take a sip. The champagne is crisp and cold, bubbles dancing on my tongue. I lean back on one elbow, gazing up at the mural again.“You know,” I say thoughtfully, “I’ve always loved that this mural shows humans and
Iris“Careful, step up here,” Arthur murmurs, his hand firm on my lower back as he guides me forward.The blindfold is soft against my face, blocking out all light. I’ve been wearing it since we got in the car twenty minutes ago, and my curiosity is killing me. Where on earth is Arthur taking me?“A
The interviewer takes notes, then turns to me. “And now you’re raising your son together. How has that transition been?”“It’s been wonderful having Arthur in Miles’ life,” I manage. “Miles adores him.”“I imagine it must be quite the adjustment, suddenly being thrust into the public eye as the Alph
IrisMy hair is swept into an elegant updo, not a strand out of place. My makeup is flawless but subdued, emphasizing my cheekbones and brightening my eyes without looking too dramatic. The dress is a conservative knee-length sheath in navy blue, with a matching blazer that nips in at the waist.The
“What do you mean?”“I’ve arranged a photoshoot and interview. For both of us.”I blink at him, stunned. “A photoshoot? You mean... like for a magazine?” My mind flits back to all of the magazine covers with Arthur and Selina—the perfect poses, the pretty smiles, the flawless makeup.Arthur nods. “A
IrisI scrub the serving dish harder than I should, hardly even noticing as the scrubber leaves scratch marks in the ceramic.The dinner was a disaster. Not just the burnt roast—although that certainly didn’t help—but the whole evening. Leonard and Wendy might as well have worn signs around their ne
Mother scoffs. “I’m not impressed. Maybe if she weren’t so preoccupied with that hobby of hers, she could actually focus on what’s important: her family.”“Painting isn’t a hobby,” I counter. “It’s her profession. And she’s damn good at it. You saw her work.”Father scoffs. “It’s derivative at best.