“He isn’t that interesting.”
“Likely no’. You’re still going to tell me.”
“Pren –” she started, his arms tightened and she stopped.
His voice dipped lower when he demanded, “Tell me.”
She was silent. This lasted awhile.
Finally, she said softly, “Actually, I think this is good.”
“What?”
“Telling you about Laurent.”
Laurent.
Christ, he even hated the man’s name.
Over the years, he didn’t think much of Laurent Evangelista because he didn’t allow himself to think much of Elle.
When Prentice heard about their public split, he did think Laurent Evangelista was all kinds of fool for leaving Elle and going off with a shoddier version.
Now, he hated him.
No, actually, he detested him.
Because someone should have done something about that father of hers, those dreams of hers and how she fisted her hands in that alarming way.
And it was clear Laurent Evangelista did none of those things.
“I didn’t love him,” Elle announced, taking him from his thoughts.
“What?” Prentice asked, surprised.
“I didn’t love him. I never loved him,” she repeated. “Looking back, I’m not certain I ever even liked him.”
At that, it was Prentice’s body that grew solid. Feeling it, with a rough jerk, she pulled away. He allowed this because he sensed she needed it.
He’d disallow it the minute she did not.
She walked two steps, put her glass to the railing and then turned to him.
“You won’t be surprised to hear that I married him because my father wanted me to. There wasn’t much I did that my Dad didn’t want me to do.” She waited for that to sink in and, when she received no response, she went on, “Dad liked him. Thought he was a good catch. Said Laurent was our people. He’d known Laurent’s parents for years.”
“Elle –” he stopped speaking when she turned to face the sea and kept talking.
“I thought, though, that I’d get something from it. Finally get something I wanted,” she told the sea and her voice dropped to a whisper when she continued, “I was wrong.”
She was talking about children. A family.
It was time to disallow the space she no longer needed.
Prentice approached, Elle retreated but he didn’t let her go. He caught her around the waist and pulled her to him, sliding his arms tight around her.
She stood stiff in his embrace.
“Why didn’t you adopt?” he asked quietly.