Happy Place
Kael observed the hurt in Faye’s eyes after his mother introduced Danica as his girlfriend. Earlier, he had felt uneasy and wanted to correct his mother, but he didn’t want to upset her on her birthday.
“Yes, I was hurt! Is that what you want to hear? And then, what’s next?”
She was right. What would happen next? Due to his lingering attachment to the past and his history with Faye, he found it challenging to accept the mistakes he had made. Faye turned her head away from him.
“I’m struggling with my situation, Kael. Please…”
“You still love me!” he declared. He didn’t need to assume her feelings because he knew it in his heart. They had engaged in sexual encounters because they couldn’t restrain their affection for each other, both on the evening he visited Lauren’s house and the day he finally saw Faye after a couple of long years.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
They shared a connection too powerful to be erased. Kael’s previous relationship with Faye had been a mix of happiness and tragedy, and he was unsure of how to navigate it to be with her in the present.
Faye swallowed, biting her lower lip.
“You still love me,” Kael repeated.
Faye tightly closed her eyes. The pain was too much to bear. “Kael, I love my fiancé!”
“But you love me too,” he murmured.
Tears flowed from Faye’s eyes.
To maintain her gaze, Kael gently cupped both of her cheeks. He understood her suffering and realized his significant role in Faye’s current turmoil. Without uttering a word, he kissed her. He had reached a point where he was willing to plead for even a few moments of her attention, and his heart was prepared to share Faye’s affections with her fiancé.
He felt like he was going mad, but what other choice did he have?
Their intense love for each other and his complex history with Faye made it impossible for him to stop. He had impregnated her, a pregnancy that, unfortunately, did not survive. After warning him about the miscarriage and informing him of her plans to study overseas, Finn had sent Faye away. However, Lauren, who believed that Kael regarded Faye as a younger sibling, remained unaware of their troubled past.
Because Finn was married to Kael’s sister, their family regarded Kael and Faye as siblings, making it impossible for them to be together, thus turning their relationship into a family taboo.
As Kael was kissing Faye, they heard a voice emanating from the hallway adjacent to the open area near the restroom.
“Hi! Where is the ladies’ room?”
They recognized Danica’s voice, and it left him feeling perplexed about why he was anxious. After a quick gasp for air, Faye withdrew from his embrace. He let her go.
He’s not cheating, right?
Danica isn’t his girlfriend, but he still felt as though he had wronged her.
Someone, whom he assumed to be a hotel employee, replied, “That way, miss! That space on the right.”
They were just a few meters from Danica, concealed from her view by the wall.
“Thank you!” Danica responded.
Before departing, Faye whispered to Kael, “We need to stop running into each other like this,” and then made her way toward that hallway.
A few moments later, Faye engaged in a cheerful conversation with Danica.
“Oh, hi! You’re Miss Burnham, right? I’ve heard about your mother, and I hope she recovers soon.”
“Thank you! She’s improving after the chemotherapy.”
“Oh, that’s so sad…” Even though he couldn’t see Danica, he knew the kind of compassionate woman she was. She was the type who could shed tears at the sight of a live fish having its gills sliced.
How did Faye manage to appear so carefree, as if nothing had ever happened?
Kael grappled with his situation. He desired to confront Faye, but there were too many compelling reasons for him to suppress whatever feelings he had for her.
He hadn’t anticipated the collateral hurt Danica would experience due to his conflicted emotions.
***
While waiting for Mr. Andrew Walton to return to the country, Drew didn’t let go of Lily and ensured that every moment was joyful for her. After what had happened at the Arvesso Resort, he refused to leave her side.
It was the workweek, and Kael hadn’t returned to the island, providing her with some free time.
She and Drew explored the nearby islands and had a great time as a couple aboard his yacht, hoping to avoid being recognized. To bring her happiness, they engaged in various activities together, even if it was as simple as hugging and sitting on the beach, gazing at the waves. They crafted their own happy paradise.
“Baby, forget about everything. Let’s have fun!” Drew declared before jumping into the deep water.
Lily laughed as she caught sight of him in the nude, just before he disappeared beneath the waves.
Lifting her shirt to bare her body, she jumped in, joining him. As they swam underwater, he held onto her hand.
After a couple of minutes in the sea, Lily gasped for air and found a resting spot in the corner beneath the deck. She let out a shriek as Drew’s head suddenly surfaced in front of her eyes.
“Ahhh!” Her scream was followed by laughter. She had never experienced such happiness in her entire life.
He reached for her lips, encircling his big arms around her waist. A gentle fire tickled her heart as she caressed his body.
In between kisses, he mumbled, “You are addictive.”
“Hmm… I miss the couch,” she teased, her fingers caressing Drew’s lean torso, while her other hand rested on his lips, savoring every moment in her heart.
With or without the couch, she was content to have her husband with her, but over the course of a year, the couch had played a significant role in their life.
Drew’s gaze darkened as he carried her body back to the deck.
He playfully threw her onto the bed inside the cabin and began to lick her salty skin.
She welcomed him, inviting him into her paradise.
***
Aware that Drew also had concerns about Lily’s true identity, she pushed those thoughts from her mind. They made an effort to steer clear of the sensitive issue. However, the nagging idea that they might be related frustrated their curiosity.
She didn’t want to let him down, but their relationship had never been as wonderful as it was now. Even though they avoided the topic, they were gradually becoming more open with each other. What truly mattered to her was that Drew cared about her, and she was well aware of his deep desire to see her happy.
As the orange sun descended, Drew kissed her on the forehead while she rested on his broad chest.
“Lily, is it wrong for me to say I want to marry you again?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him and replied, “Hmmm… Weddings can be expensive, you know.”
“Let’s get married! I want to experience our first kiss as husband and wife without you passing out again! I mean, seriously, that day I was convinced my breath was that bad!”
Lily laughed, and in retaliation, he playfully bit her shoulder to make her pay for recalling their first meeting.
“I’m really sorry, babe. My wedding dress was too tight, and I think I was so terrified of you,” she confessed with a chuckle.
“You’ve done amazing! I’m incredibly proud of you. There’s no turning back now. In order for us to start anew and for me to give you the real wedding you deserve, I want to marry you all over again. I’m doing this because I truly want to!”
“Let’s do it!” she said with a smile. Over the past few days, they had been inseparable, and she was savoring every moment of it.
Although it seemed a little late to ask, she wanted to know if Master Walton might be willing to disregard Drew’s presence on the island for her. “Is it true that you don’t have a job right now?”
Drew replied, “You know I could still provide for you even if I turned into a slacker. My mother left me an incredible inheritance, and I own stocks in major corporations,” he said, kissing her playfully. “Plus, I have an artist wife… We’re absolutely fine!”
“Then, let’s go back! I’m feeling better now. I know you’ve stayed here to support me. I feel it in my heart, Drew! We’re going through a significant revelation that might shake us, but I’d feel terrible if you cut ties with your grandfather. I’m prepared to face your father and Master Walton to address the issues we have in the city.”
“Lily, promise me that you’ll see and love me as your husband, regardless of what my dad says. I wouldn’t be able to accept you leaving again,” Drew said, his voice filled with fear.
Lily turned to her husband and kissed him on the lips. She could sense that he was even more anxious than she was.
“You belonged to me, Drew.” To ease the mood, she followed with a playful tease, “We’ve gotten quite a bit of color, almost resembling monkeys.”
During their time at sea, their skin had darkened from the sun.
“Why are you so perfect, Lily?” Drew inquired.
She knew she wasn’t perfect, but she no longer contested his sentiments. Love had a way of making one express the most beautiful words.