pain if you keep pursuing it,” Blaise says, staring at her steadily. “Trust me on this. Please. I don’t think my father or brother had anything to do with Ludovic’s death. But if you start looking around, if you start acting like they did, if you start to twist things . . . they will retaliate. You’re better off forgetting it. Mourn your father and grieve. But don’t go looking for something to make it worse.”
I have to say, I agree with Blaise on this one. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to think about it, maybe because I know it will make things worse, but we’d all be better off if we let it go.
For now.
Besides, that’s not at the forefront of my mind. I’m not sure I trust Blaise when he says that Pascal won’t hurt her, and I hate to think what roughing her up means. All I know is that if Pascal has Sadie, she’s going to be terrified and lost and confused. She’s going to be hurting in some way, and, knowing her, if Pascal makes her choose, if his whole intent is to make her leave, she will leave.
She’ll do it to protect me.
It’s part of the reason why I fell for her.
She’s one of the few people who would go above and beyond for me, just as I would for her.
God, it seems so long ago, those blissful days in that sun-soaked hotel room, where our only problems were what to order for room service.
I miss that life.
I miss her.
I miss us, that us.
Now everything is fucked right up.
“Hey,” Seraphine says gently, touching me on the shoulder. I turn my head to see sympathy in her eyes. “She’s going to be okay.”
“Yeah. And if she’s not?”
“She will be.”
“It doesn’t mean we’ll be okay.”
I can tell she understands exactly what I mean.
This has become too much for any couple to weather, let alone a new one.
Thankfully, it’s not long before the car is screeching to a halt on the wet street outside my building. I run past the concierge, who does a double and then triple take as Blaise and Seraphine sprint through the lobby behind me. I’m actually amazed that Blaise is still here, but perhaps he’s trying to distance himself from Pascal and Gautier.
Or maybe it has something to do with Seraphine.
He does seem protective of her in a strange way. Maybe in a brother-sister way, which would still be quite strange, because they’re from different sides, and they’ve never gotten along. All I know is that if Blaise truly hates Pascal—and it sounds like he’s not too fond of his father either—maybe Seraphine isn’t alone in this game after all.
Once I get inside my apartment, it’s obvious that Sadie is gone.
Her bag is packed for one.
And there’s a note.
The note brings me a bit of relief, just to know that she’s okay.
Dear Olivier,
I am so sorry, but I have to leave. I have no time to explain, but I’ll be catching a flight out of Charles De Gal, or however you spell it, and I’ll be heading home. Please know that I’m okay and I’m fine and I’m not hurt, but I have to go home. Please understand that. It has nothing to do with you.
I’ll call you when I land. I love you.
I really, really love you.
I’d write it in French, but . . .
I love you.
Sadie
“Is she okay?” Seraphine asks, trying to look over my shoulder to read it.
I fold it up and put it in my pocket, away from her prying eyes. “She’s fine, I guess. I don’t know. She’s going home.”
“Home?”
“She caught a flight back to Seattle.”
“Which means Pascal bought it for her,” Blaise muses as he stares at a painting on my wall, hands clasped behind his back. “I figured as much.”
“How do you feel?” Seraphine asks me, rooting through my liquor cabinet for a bottle of something to drink.
“I don’t know,” I admit.
Because I don’t. She’s gone.
My love is gone.
And yet I know I won’t let her go so easily.
Seraphine selects a bottle of brandy and pulls the cork out with her teeth. “If you don’t mind, I feel like helping myself to this.”
I watch her absently as she takes several long gulps from the bottle.
“Impressive,” Blaise notes, his attention on her now, watching her swallow in a way that I don’t think is family friendly.
I frown at that, but my mind pushes on. “Why do you hate your brother?”
Blaise smirks. “Why do you hate