Angel’s eyes softened.“Bella...”Her voice was gentle but insistent.“You love him.You always have.I’m not blind.”
I wanted to speak.To deny it.But my throat burned, and the words died on my tongue.Because that undeniable tug between Adam and I had always been there, something tangible and real I’d tried to bury again and again.
Angel leaned closer, almost conspiratorial, a soft smile playing at her lips.“It’s okay.You don’t have to hide it from me, or from yourself.”
I swallowed, but the knot in my chest didn’t loosen.My wings twitched, restless and anxious, echoing the words I refused to speak.
Her gaze lingered, gentle but piercing.“It’s not shameful to love him,” she said softly.“You deserve to feel that way.And who better to love you than the man who understands you completely?”
I was saved from answering when another knock sounded at the door.
The doctor cleared his throat, as though the sound had ended his eavesdropping just as effectively as it had ended my epiphany.“Allow me,” he said kindly, moving to answer it.
He opened the door, then turned back to face me.“Bella, one of Adam’s security is here to escort you to Adam’s suite of rooms.”
I blinked.I had never stepped inside his private rooms.The thought fired equal parts fear and anticipation through me.It was as if crossing that threshold might shatter the walls we’d built around ourselves, exposing truths we’d both tried to keep hidden.
When I’d been his asset, I’d been separated from his real life.Despite the fact we were now on more equal footing, this was still his world.His rules.His space.His control.Just thinking about being there with him made my heart pound.
Angel sighed softly, her wings quivering now.“I hope you realize how much you deserve a man who can truly handle you.Someone who can see what makes you,you—wings and all—and still wants to stand beside you.Someone who’ll appreciate every part of you: the chaos, the scars, the strength.Everything.”
The doctor’s gaze flicked to her, gentle but steady.“You’re right,” he said softly.“And you deserve that too, Angel.Someone who sees you...really sees you.Someone like me.”
Her lips curved into a small, thoughtful smile.She straightened slightly, as if reassured.“Maybe,” she murmured, though the warmth in her eyes made it clear she’d taken him seriously.
I processed the moment between them, something bittersweet twisting inside me.Adam’s security guard nodded pointedly at me, his posture rigid but unobtrusive.
It was time to go.
I winked at Angel, then slipped past the doctor still hovering in the doorway.A smile pulled at my mouth.Even if my feelings were doomed, I clung to the hope that Angel might get her happily ever after.
My heels clicked along the polished corridor, the guard’s boots echoing dully.I inhaled the faint scent of beeswax and warm wood, my superior hearing picking up the hum of a hidden air conditioner somewhere beyond the walls, the tight rhythm of my breath.
Shadows darkened the leaves and branches of the trees through the windows to one side, the brightly-lit assets in the niches on the other somehow mocking me, reminding me of my place.
The door to what I assumed was Adam’s suite loomed ahead.The guard gave a brief rap on the wood, then opened it before stepping aside, waiting for me to enter Adam’s domain.
I hesitated for the briefest moment, feeling the weight of every unspoken word between us, every withheld action.Then, with a deep inhale, I stepped forward, crossing the threshold into his private world.
For a moment, I looked at everythingbutAdam.I needed the extra time to compose myself, to act poised and pretend I was okay.
A soft fire burned in the hearth—it was much cooler up in the treed mountains—its glow licking gold across the polished wooden floorboards.The table near the window was set for two, simple dishes along with a bottle of chilled wine.My nose twitched at the faint aroma of roasted meat, a medley of vegetables and crusty herb bread.
Though the air inside was warmed by the fire, the atmosphere was heavier somehow, as though it carried Adam’s presence in every corner.My anticipation stretched tighter, my every nerve alert as my heartbeat echoed in my ears.
So much for staying calm and in control.Stepping into his suite of rooms reallyhadchanged everything between us.
He stood by the table, one hand resting against his ribs where the bandage had been.Though he was a little leaner, his tailored navy suit slightly looser, he looked better.His white dress shirt highlighted the color that had returned to his skin, the sharp edges of his exhaustion smoothed out.But his movements were still careful, controlled.
He nodded at his guard, who immediately pulled the door shut behind us.
Adam refocused on me.“Sit,” he said softly, pulling out a chair for me.
I obeyed, crossing to the table before I took the proffered seat.I was suddenly breathless and more than a little dizzy.Everything seemed so surreal, like I’d stepped into some magical fairytale I didn’t want to end.
He took the seat opposite me, his expression unreadable in the firelight.“How are you feeling?”
I traced the rim of my glass with one finger.“Probably better than you are.”
