PROLOGUE: I LOVE YOU

Stifling a harsh expletive, Rhea Palmer awoke with a start as the phone beside her rang shrilly in her ears. Groggily, she rubbed her hooded eyes which were still swollen with sleep and sat up glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece. With a defeated sag against her pillow, she suppressed a groan. Unfortunately, she had a pretty good idea who could be calling at this ungodly hour.

“Adam Devin Crighton! Why don’t you do both of us a favour by leaving me alone?” she nearly barked in the phone, her voice still husky with sleep.

“Goooood morning sweetheart. I won’t ask you how you are feeling this morning because I think I have a pretty good idea,” replied the voice from the other end of the receiver.

Rhea raised her eyes heavenwards in an exasperated manner although she knew nobody could see her and slammed down the receiver with a disgusted sigh. Surprise, surprise! The phone rang again almost immediately.

“Okay,” she capitulated knowing full well it was the only way to keep her wits about her for the whole day. “What do you want?”

“You know what I want, sweetheart.”

“Oh, get lost!” she cried her eyes finally adjusting to the light and she flung aside her bed aside to peep in the opposite house outside her window. It was of course the house of her caller. But she could see no movement around and she nearly bumped into her wardrobe.

Damn Adam Crighton! Damn him to hell and may he never come back. It was the only way he had concocted to get her attention.

“How can I? I haven’t said the three magic words yet. I love … you, Rhea.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes once again, she smiled sweetly on the phone and said in a bored voice. “Okay? Satisfied? May I go now?”

“So glad you missed me too, sweetheart.”

“Right,” she sneered determined not to spoil her mood. It was a challenge however not to let her temper get the better of her so early in the morning. And besides she was used to the calls now; it had been happening for the past two years; it was no joke!

“Bye love. See you later.”

Without replying, Rhea once again slammed down the receiver with fury even if she knew it wouldn’t serve any purpose. She simply couldn’t handle Adam anymore. Heaven only knows what had gotten into him those years back when he had suddenly realized that he loved her.

They had known each other forever; having practically been brought up together. But it was only on her twenty first birthday that Adam had suddenly realized that he had to-get-her. And just to prove it, he had been regularly calling her every morning at six o’clock to tell her that he loved her!

At first, Rhea had treated the whole thing as a joke but Adam had still persisted and Rhea had grown tired of the game.

Really, she had had enough! Adam was a sweet and very very handsome guy. Considering him as a very good friend, Rhea did not want to hurt him but she simply did not love him back. She had lost count of how many times she had tried explaining to him. But he was so damn stubborn! And she no longer knew how to handle him anymore.