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Victoria’s eyes still probe.“So, how do you two really know each other?”
I glance at Jackie before turning back to Victoria.“I served with her husband, Carter.”
The atmosphere shifts.Even the air feels heavier.Victoria’s eyes widen, understanding the unspoken implications.
Jackie picks up where I left off.“Carter didn’t make it back.But Kingsley here has been nothing short of a guardian angel since then.”Her eyes meet mine, filled with a gratitude that makes my chest tighten.“He’s made sure Remy and I are okay, even from a distance.I can never thank him enough.”
Victoria’s eyes turn soft, the jealousy replaced by something warmer that looks a lot like admiration.I can’t help but feel awkward, undeserving of the praise.My eyes lower.It’s all I can do to keep myself composed.
“I’m so sorry,” Victoria says.
“Thank you,” Jackie replies.“What are you two doing in Montauk?Do you have a concert I don’t know about?”Jackie shifts the tone.
“No.”She smiles.“Just taking some time off since…” Her voice hangs in the air as she chooses her next words carefully, “… since the Asian tour.”
Jackie realizes, offering, “I’m sorry.I read about what happened to you there.”
Both women smile.“It must be comforting to know you have a trained killer by your side now.”
Victoria lets out a nervous laugh.“It is indeed.”
I stare at the beautiful woman by my side as Jackie’s words hang in the air.When our eyes lock, it’s like striking a match—sudden and electrifying.My breath catches, and I notice her own breathing quicken.For that moment, everything else fades away, and it’s just us.The world seems to shrink, Victoria my sole focus.
Jackie clears her throat, and I shift my attention, noticing a wry smile touching her lips as if she’s read the silent conversation happening in our stares.
“Well, I should get going,” she says, gracefully withdrawing from the magnetic field Victoria and I have unknowingly created.
“Goodbye, Jackie,” Victoria says, her voice slightly breathless.She then leans down toward the stroller.“And goodbye to you too, little Remy.”
As Jackie wheels Remy away, I can’t help but follow them with my eyes for a moment.Then I refocus on Victoria, whose gaze hasn’t left me.She’s standing closer now and pulls her hand, taking it in mine.
In her eyes, I see something that makes the heaviness of my past recede, even if just for a moment.
“How was your session?”I ask.
“Let’s talk about that later.”Victoria looks up at me.“There’s something special I want to show you,” she says, her voice tinged with excitement.
Intrigued, I find myself easily drawn into her gravitational pull as she takes the lead.We wander through Montauk’s less-frequented streets, seemingly distancing ourselves from the hustle and bustle with every step.After a considerable walk, my curiosity finally gets the better of me.
“So, where exactly are you taking me?”I ask, a note of anticipation infiltrating my voice.
She turns her head slightly, giving me an enigmatic smile.“The question is, do you trust me enough to find out?”
Her inquiry takes me by surprise and makes me pause.Trust is a currency I’m usually very careful with, not willing to spend indiscriminately.But as our eyes lock, something inside me shifts.A startling realization surfaces—I do trust her.“Yes,” I find myself saying, almost in disbelief at my own uncharacteristic openness.“Yes, I trust you.”
Grinning broadly now, she guides me onto a hidden path that branches off the road.A canopy of leaves from towering trees envelops us as if nature itself is providing a sanctuary from the world’s prying eyes.As we wind our way through this tucked-away trail, I instinctively reach out, taking her hand in mine.
“I have to admit, surprises are generally not on my list of favorite things.Given my line of work, they usually mean something’s gone very wrong,” I offer, though my tone betrays that my grumbling isn’t completely serious.
Her laughter fills the air.“Oh, lighten up, Kingsley.Sometimes life needs a little unpredictability.”
We reach the end of the tree-lined path, and Victoria suddenly turns to me, her eyes brimming with emotion.Without a word, she throws her arms around my neck and pulls me close.In that quiet, secluded space, she kisses me.The world falls away as her lips meet mine—passionate, urgent, and profoundly meaningful.When she finally pulls back, her eyes search mine.“You’re a good man, Kingsley.”
I’m left almost breathless, feeling like I’ve been given something I didn’t know I was missing.It’s like a reset button got hit, clearing away some of the self-doubt and guilt that’s been hanging over me for ages.I’m falling head first, and I’m in unchartered territory, but I’m too fucking far gone to stay away.
The warmth of her smile reaches all the way to her eyes, making them shine even brighter.She pivots and takes my hand, enthusiastically pulling me.And then the forest opens up before us, and we emerge onto a secluded beach.Fine golden sand sprawls out, surrounded by boulders and the Atlantic waves.It’s as if we’ve stumbled into a secret world, untouched and unspoiled.Hidden and so beautiful.
“I used to escape here during family vacations,” she admits softly, her eyes drifting across the sand and water.“My parents would argue a lot, especially about my dad’s… indiscretions.This place was my refuge from all that chaos.”
