AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘No thanks.’ The thought made her stomach curdle.
‘Tea, then,’ he said. ‘Mint tea.’
‘Oh!’ She perked up a bit. ‘Thank you.’
‘Roula,’ Galen said. ‘It was very brave of you to just do what you did. I mean that.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Wedohave feelings for each other, but...’
It was like one of those job rejection letters, Roula thought.Dear Ms Drakos, Thank you for your application, but...
‘You still haven’t opened all of your present.’ He handed her the handbag. ‘There’s something inside.’
A coin, probably. Or some lucky charm.
‘Thanks.’
There was a sliver of velvet inside.
‘Open it,’ Galen said.
And when she unrolled it Roula found the pure sound of silence in Athens, for there were no words from her. It was a thin gold chain with a cross.
‘This was...’ he started.
‘Your mother’s,’ she said.
‘Yes,’ Galen said. ‘And I’m giving it to you.’
‘As a leaving present?’
‘No, because I love you.’
‘You don’t.’
‘Roula, I completely do. And it’s very important that you get that. I love you, and I feel sick at the thought of you leaving, but if you want to go to London I’ll come too.’
She looked at him and frowned.
‘After Yaya’s dead.’
God, he was blunt sometimes. ‘I don’t think London’s the issue...’ she began.
‘No, but are we clear? I love you.’
‘I think so,’ she said, because she was lifting her hair and he was putting the gold chain on her, his most precious thing.
‘Know so,’ Galen said. ‘I love you because you are everything. You are strong and brave and...’
‘Galen, I’m not brave.’
‘You are.’
‘I’m terrified.’
‘Of what?’
