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Author: Mira Knox
last update publish date: 2026-05-11 13:29:32

EMILY GRAYSON'S

After forcing Alex to leave two days ago, everything became a blur. The doctor and nurse surrounded me, trying to calm me down while my heart monitor screamed beside the bed. I barely remember their voices and barely remember the sedative they pushed into my IV. I only remember crying. Then darkness.

A soft voice slowly pulled me back to consciousness. “Emily?” My eyelids felt heavy as I forced them open. The hospital room was dim, sunlight leaking faintly through the curtains
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  • Safe In His Darkness    96

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The rest of the afternoon passed far too quickly. The sun hung low over the water, painting everything in shades of gold and amber. The beach had grown quieter now, leaving behind only the gentle sound of waves and the occasional cry of distant seagulls. I stood near the shoreline, letting the cool water wash over my feet. The ocean stretched endlessly before me. Beautiful.m Peaceful. Infinite. For a moment, I simply stood there. Thinking. Not about the past. Not about Declan. Not about everything we'd survived. Just about now. About how strange it felt to finally be happy without constantly waiting for something to ruin it.A familiar pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind. Alex. Of course. I smiled immediately. "You know," I said, leaning back against him, "you really need to stop sneaking up on me." His lips brushed my temple. "No." "Why?" "I like it." I laughed softly. "That's not a real answer." "It's the only answer I have." T

  • Safe In His Darkness    95

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The next morning, I woke to the sound of laughter. Not loud laughter. Not the kind Lexi usually produced when she was about to cause problems. Just soft voices drifting up from downstairs. I stretched beneath the sheets and blinked toward the bright Santorini sunlight pouring through the windows. For a moment, I simply lay there, listening to the waves, feeling the warmth of the sun, enjoying the peace. Then I noticed something: the space beside me was empty. Again.I narrowed my eyes. "Suspicious."Alex had disappeared. Again. At this point, I was beginning to think the man naturally woke up three hours before the rest of humanity. After getting dressed, I headed downstairs. The moment I entered the kitchen, Teresa smiled."Good morning dear.""Morning." Paola was already eating breakfast. Sergio sat across from her, trying very hard not to look at her. Again. Poor man. At this point, everyone would know Sergio liked Paola because I knew he wanted to keep it a sec

  • Safe In His Darkness    94

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The afternoon drifted by far too quickly. One moment we were wandering through the narrow streets of Santorini. The sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon. The island seemed to transform as evening approached. The white buildings glowed golden beneath the fading sunlight. The sea shimmered like molten glass. Every restaurant and café was filled with people gathering to watch the famous sunset. Apparently, half the island had the exact same idea, including me. I stopped near a viewpoint overlooking the caldera. The view stretched endlessly before us: the cliffs, the sea, the whitewashed buildings cascading down the hillside. It looked unreal, like someone had painted it. My fingers tightened around my phone as I took another picture, and another, and another. Alex watched me with quiet amusement. "You have approximately seven hundred photos already." I gasped. "That's an exaggeration." "You took forty-three pictures of the same church." "It was a beautif

  • Safe In His Darkness    93

    EMILY GRAYSON'SThe next morning, I woke slowly. Warm, golden sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting soft patterns across the white sheets and marble floors. For several seconds, I simply lay there, listening to the distant crash of waves against the cliffs below, the soft rustle of curtains dancing in the sea breeze, and the quiet stillness of the villa. It was peaceful. Not the fragile kind that vanished the moment you opened your eyes. Not the kind that came with conditions. Real peace. A smile touched my lips. Then I felt an arm tighten around my waist. I looked down.Alex. Still asleep. Or pretending to be. Honestly, with him, it was impossible to tell. His face looked relaxed against the pillow, dark hair slightly messy from sleep. One arm was wrapped securely around me, possessively, protectively. As though even unconscious, some part of him refused to let me wander too far away. The sight alone warmed my chest. Carefully, I reached up and brushed my f

  • Safe In His Darkness    92

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The kiss lasted longer than either of us intended. Or maybe exactly as long as Alex intended. With him, it was hard to tell. By the time we finally pulled apart, I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt. Alex looked entirely too pleased with himself, which only made me roll my eyes."Don't.""Don't what?" he asked innocently."Whatever smug thing you're doing."His smirk widened. "I have no idea what you're talking about."Liar.Before I could argue, a familiar voice drifted from outside the bedroom."Dinner is ready!"Teresa.I immediately brightened. Alex sighed dramatically. I laughed."You sound jealous.""I am."That startled a laugh out of me. "You are jealous of Teresa.""She keeps stealing your attention.""She's feeding me.""So do I.""Alex," I warned."I do love feeding you."I covered my face. "Oh my God.""What?" he asked."You make normal sentences sound possessive.""That's because they are."I laughed so hard I nearly stumbled. Alex caught my waist before

  • Safe In His Darkness    91

    EMILY GRAYSON'S Taking my hand, Alex lead me toward the house. The massive front doors opened before we even reached them. The moment I saw who was standing there, I froze. "Teresa?" My voice came out as a surprised squeak. Beside her stood Paola, her granddaughter, both of them smiling warmly. "Teresa!" I practically ran toward her. She barely had time to open her arms before I threw mine around her. She laughed softly and hugged me back tightly. Immediately, that familiar warmth settled inside my chest. I had always loved Teresa's motherly affection—the way she fussed over everyone, the way she somehow made every place feel like home. When I finally pulled away, I hugged Paola too. "You are both here?" "Welcome to Santorini, Emily," they said together. I turned toward Alex in disbelief. "How did you get them here?" The happiness in my voice was impossible to hide. Alex looked entirely too pleased with himself. Before he could answer, Sergio stepped forward."It was my idea." I lo

  • Safe In His Darkness    57

    EMILY GRAYSON'S “Then why do you keep coming back?” The silence behind me stretched painfully. Then finally, “Because I’m dying without you.” The honesty in his voice hit me so hard I nearly lost my balance. “I miss you.” My eyes burned instantly. I hated that those words still affec

  • Safe In His Darkness    56

    EMILY GRAYSON'S It had been eight days. Eight days since everything shattered. Eight days since grief settled itself permanently inside my chest like something living. Eight days of waking up always hollow. I stood alone in my kitchen, staring down at a cup of tea that had gone cold nearly t

  • Safe In His Darkness    55

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The apartment stayed quiet long after Alexander left. Too quiet. I stood near the door, staring at the bouquet of ruined white lilies he had left behind. Rainwater still dripped slowly from the petals onto the floor. He had carried them through a storm. For me. My chest tighten

  • Safe In His Darkness    54

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The fifth day, he came back. And somehow, that hurt worse than if he hadn’t. I heard the knock a little after nine that night. Three slow taps. Familiar. My entire body froze instantly. Lexi looked up from the kitchen table where she’d been pretending to work on her laptop. Neither

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