MasukMARIAN.We start with the second bedroom since mine doesn’t need another tour. I've been there, I’ve seen how large it is, and what needs confirming now is if the other bedrooms are just as large as that.This bedroom is different—cooler tones, a massive platform bed facing a wall of glass that looks out over black volcanic rock and crashing waves instead of the soft beach. The furniture is sharper, more modern, all dark wood and steel.It feels like a completely different personality which makes me want to ask if they each own one bedroom. “Do you all each have one bedroom to yourselves?”Zayden looks like he’s thinking about it for a second, then he shrugs and shakes his head. “No, we don’t. Most of the time we just sleep wherever we like or together.” He responds.“Wow.” I say, nodding my head. If they’re not going to take one for themselves, why do they have so many? I don’t ask that, although with the way Zayden is looking at me, I feel like he knows I want to ask.“We don’t use
MARIAN.I have no idea I’ve been sleeping until a soft sound drifts from outside into my ear, I have no idea what it is, but even though it’s not loud enough to wake me, my body jerks awake still.Maybe that just means I’ve had enough sleep for the day, the thought makes me laugh as my eyes flutter open slowly. I know the brothers are not in here, if they were, one of them would have said something.The light in the room has changed completely, the soft glow that illuminated the room a moment ago has turned into a deep amber, and the shadows stretch longer across the stone floor.I don’t need a soothsayer to tell me that it’s evening already, and I also don’t have the strength to grab my phone and check the time as there is no wall clock in this big room.Yawning, I shift under the sheets and freeze for a second, waiting for the familiar ache. But there’s nothing. The soreness is completely gone, and my body feels light, almost new.“Well, what do you know, I guess I only needed a few
MARIAN.My mouth hangs open, and I try not to blink because I know that if I should blink, tears will start spilling from my eyes, and the last thing I want to do is cry.I know—I’ve seen—how panicked they get whenever I cry, and I do not want to do that to them again, but God, I do want to. I want to cry so bad, and I know they won’t have a problem with it, but that just makes me not want to cry even more.“It’s okay,” Tristan’s voice jolts me out of my thoughts, and that’s all I need to hear for the tears to start spilling. “It’s okay to get excited about things.”“Bunny,” Zephyr calls, and through the vale of tears on my eyes, I can see that he’s smiling at me. “It’s okay to be happy. You can do whatever the hell you want, you’re free, Marian.”“Do you have any idea why we decided to come, and that you must come, on this vacation?” Aeron asks, and I shake my head while Tristan wipes my tears slowly and carefully.“We don’t really need it, but you do.” He continues. “We see how hard
MARIAN.I can’t help but laugh despite myself as I click my teeth and withdraw my gaze. “Good decision.” I say, and they all laugh, although the sound isn’t loud, it makes me feel as though I’m being wrapped in the warmest blanket ever.Tristan reaches for a tray I hadn’t noticed on the side table, and it has fresh fruit, soft bread, something that smells like eggs and herbs, a glass of water and another of what looks like fresh juice.He settles it carefully across my lap once I’m propped against the pillows again. “I’ll feed you.” He says, the words rolling off his tongue like it’s the most natural thing ever, and I feel something soft flutter in my chest.I open my mouth to protest that I can feed myself, that I don’t want them fussing over me like this even though I’m enjoying every single attention I’m getting from them, but the first piece of fruit he holds to my lips is cool and sweet, and the quiet attention in his eyes makes the words die.Giving up, I let him feed me, and th
MARIAN.Tristan helps me up carefully, one arm steady around my waist, the other supporting my elbow like I’m made of glass that might break if he isn’t gentle enough with me, and I want to tell him to leave me alone and stop babying me.I want to tell him that I can sit up by myself, that I can do things for myself, but I know that my argument won’t be solid seeing as I’m too tired to even lift a finger.Rolling my eyes, I let him settle me properly. The sheet slips a little as I sit on the edge of the bed, and the dull, thorough ache between my legs reminds me exactly why standing still feels like something I’m incredibly bad at.How long will it take for me to regain my strength?“Can you sit?” Tristan asks, his voice low as it jolts me out of my thoughts, and when I look at him, his eyes are searching mine for the tiniest hint of discomfort.“Of course I can sit!” I retort, and I don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling a little bratty since I woke up. A part of me that I never indul
MARIAN.I turn in my sleep, and the first thing I notice is the space. There is way too much of it right here. My arm stretches across cool sheets that feel like they cost more than most people’s monthly rent, and instead of hitting a warm body or the edge of a narrow jet seat, it just keeps going.Wait.The mattress beneath me is obscenely soft, so fucking soft that I feel like I could be asleep forever on it, and I sink into it like it’s trying to keep me from all the evil in the world.Are jet beds supposed to feel like this?For a few long seconds, I just lie there, breathing in the quiet, trying to remember how I ended up somewhere this comfortable because we’ve established that I’m no longer in the private jet.There is no shaking, just smooth whatever this is, and there are no voices around me, but then I know that we couldn’t have possibly been in a crash because if we were, everywhere would be noisy.I apologize for taking a dark turn with my thoughts, but who can blame me? I
MARIAN.For the umpteenth time, I toss the dress I am holding aside. It’s red, and it would have been perfect for a club outfit, but it’s too long, it’s the kind of dress worn to corporate events, and I’m not going to any corporate event.I want heads to turn the moment I walk in, I want the room t
MARIAN.“Let’s get a divorce, Marian.”My eyes widen, but not because of the statement, but because of how much thought he has put into getting a divorce.Well, at least that proves he’ll put effort into something if it means getting away from me—the woman who stuck with him for ten years, and hand
MARIAN.Walking as fast as my legs can carry me into my safest space in this house, I slam the door to my private bedroom shut behind me, the heavy click echoing like a gunshot in the quiet space. My chest heaves, lungs burning as I lean back against the polished wood, fingers trembling against the
MARIAN.His eyes stay on me, and it feels as though I’m in a staring contest with him, a contest I know all too well that I’m going to lose, and true to that, I did not just blink, but I also looked away.When he looks at me like that, I think in directions I shouldn’t. I start imagining things I k







