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CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Faye
We walk through the park, the sun shining down on us, and a couple walks by us hand in hand. I’m tantalizingly aware of how close Felix is standing next to me, but we’re not touching for obvious reasons.
We don’t want Lola catching us.
Urgh, it makes me feel so seedy.
But at the same time, much of my concern melts away when I turn my gaze to Felix. The sun makes his silver hair glisten, catching the cut of his clean-shaven jaw.
He looks down at me, a light smirk on his lips, then it fades.
“So?” I prompt.
The smirk returns. “I thought you might’ve forgotten, gotten distracted by all this scenery. It’s the sort of stuff you enjoy photographing, isn’t it?”
We turn onto a wide gravel path that circles a large pond, ducks gliding across its surface. And Felix’s right. As I study them, I begin to think of ways to capture the beauty of what I’m seeing.
“Lots of people enjoy photographing nature,” I say, shrugging.
“So what?” Felix says. “Plenty of photographers have traveled Europe, doing projects fairly similar. It doesn’t make it any less yours, not if you can bring your unique flair to it. And looking at your work, Faye, I know you can.”
“You only looked at it for a couple of minutes,” I mutter.
He pauses, staring down at me, making me feel like he’s staring straight through my clothes. He could be since he can remember what I look like.
The hunger in his eyes never fades.
“I looked up your portfolio online.”
It takes me a moment to get it, then my hand flies over my mouth, trapping a gasp. “My high school photos? They’re amateurish as heck. I forgot they were even online.”
“They’re the work of an amateur, it’s true,” he says. “But we were all amateurs once. That’s not a fair way to assess it. You have to ask yourself, Does this person have potential? Your work shows massive, massive potential, Faye. It did even then.”
“Thank you,” I say softly. “I’m not the best at taking compliments.”
“You should be,” he says passionately.
I nod, averting my gaze, afraid we’re going to kiss again. It’s like our bodies are constantly trying to pull us closer together.
“Are you done changing the subject?” I tease as we continue to walk.
His compliment bounces warmly around me, sending fireworks of joy through me. I’ve often imagined hearing Felix praise my work, and my skill, but I never imagined it would really happen.
That’s us, never imagining it, but here we are.
Everything is dreamy with Felix.
He quietly laughs as we make a circuit of the pond. “You’re right.”
“You said it might make me like you less,” I remind him. “What happened between you and Maddie? I don’t understand. You were together for years, since before Lola was born, right?”
“For two months before she was born, yes,” Felix says, his voice oddly cold.
“Okay.”
“I would never do anything to ruin Lola’s memory of her mother. She doesn’t deserve that. Losing a parent to a terminal disease is bad enough. But then to have your father share how he really felt…I could never do that to her.”
