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“Fine,” I say, my voice tight. “Anything else?”
He doesn’t answer me for a full minute. Maybe even longer. When he does, his gaze softens, turning as beautiful as the ocean just outside. “Try to enjoy yourself, Callie. I don’t want you to be miserable while we’re here.”
I give him an incredulous look. “You can’t be serious.”
He takes a step forward, as though to reach out and touch me, but stops when I narrow my gaze. He releases a sigh of defeat that pricks my heart. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
I give him a curt nod and turn my attention to the window, dismissing him. The waves just outside gently ebb and flow right now, but they have the capacity to grow in strength and drown someone. That’s my relationship with Hayden. Sometimes it’s beautiful and other times it threatens to kill me.
That thought fills me with sadness and anger in equal measure. I wrap my arms around my middle and stare out of the window as if a solution can be found in the sands below. I press my forehead against the glass, tears burning behind my eyelids.
How am I going to get through this without losing my mind?
Chapter17
Calista
The sun ishigh when I finally end my pity-party and wander outside, happy to leave Hayden behind indoors. He glanced at me when I walked past him in the living room. He’d been typing furiously on his laptop until I entered the room, but he remained quiet and motionless until I reached the door.
Following the sandy path down to a secluded stretch of beach, I take a deep breath of the salty air, and some of the tension leaves my shoulders. For the first time since I arrived, my body starts to relax. There’s a serenity in this place that I’m not immune to, regardless of my personal issues.
And there are many.
I keep walking along the white sandy shore until the water covers my toes. It’s cooler than I thought, given the sweltering heat brushing my skin. Shielding my eyes from the sun’s brutal rays, I stand there with the waves slapping against my legs until my skin starts to protest.
I head over to the cabana I spotted on my way here. Nestled between a group of palm trees near the shoreline, the structure is covered in shade. A swinging bench is suspended from the ceiling, similar in style to the reading nook inside the library.
After settling onto the plush seat, I push off the floor with both feet, gently rocking as I gaze out at the sparkling water. The sound of the rolling waves mingles with the rustling palm leaves above me, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Leaning back against the cushions, I close my eyes and let the gentle motion of the swing soothe me. My mind remains blissfully quiet and I lose track of time. Which doesn’t matter since I have nowhere else to go.
“Calista.”
At the sound of Hayden calling my name, I jolt awake. The swing is still, except for my sudden movement, and the sun is much lower in the sky. I blink away the fog of sleep and look up at him. He towers over me with the remaining sunlight outlining his body, casting him in an orange glow.
He looks like an angel, ethereal and otherworldly. The comparison brings little comfort. Before he fell, Lucifer was an angel too.
I sit up slowly. “What is it?” I ask, unable to keep the suspicion from my voice.
If he notices, he doesn’t show it. His face remains placid. “Dinner’s ready.” My stomach rumbles at the mention of food, and the side of his mouth lifts into a half-smile. “Come on.”
He extends a hand and I hesitate to take it. I’m still emotionally wary of this man. He’s keeping me under his control, forcing me to depend on him for everything.
Food.
Shelter.
Fucking underwear.
“You need to eat,” he says. “Don’t make me repeat myself, Callie.”
With a sigh of frustration, I rise from the swing. He lowers his offered hand, but not without his eyes flashing some intense emotion that could either be anger or pain. I’m not sure.
Guilt tries to take over as I follow Hayden back to the house, but I’m quick to suppress it. We reach the patio where a candlelit table waits. He pulls out my chair and I sit down, hyperaware of his proximity. Of his every movement. I’m in tune with this man in a way I didn’t think was possible.
“Seafood linguine,” he says, taking his seat and lifting the lid of the serving tray. “I believe this is one of your favorites.”
“It is.”
