guilty, that’s fine. Regardless, you can’t ignore that I made you into the woman you are today. If I hadn’t shown you what was possible, would you have escaped that empty life you’d been living? Would you have spread your wings? Learned to fly? Become this independent woman who turns heads whenever she walks into a room?”
“I—”
“No,” he says vehemently. “The answer is no. You’d still be sitting in the front pew of that church every Sunday, listening to the husband you’ll never love droll on about whatever wrong he felt compelled to right that day. I freed you.”
I shake my head, adamantly refusing to agree with his assessment.
“Take your darling Medusa. She would have been nothing without Poseidon. Before he became infatuated with her, she was this inconsequential mortal who, while beautiful, was completely ordinary. Poseidon made her extraordinary.”
“One could argue that was Athena.”
“But had it not been for Poseidon taking her in the virgin goddess’ sacred temple, Athena wouldn’t have had cause to punish Medusa. So yes, while Athena turned her into a monster, it was because of Poseidon’s actions. Do you think we’d be reading about an ordinary mortal who lived a wholesome, albeit sheltered life? There’s no drama,” he declares excitedly. “No passion. That’s what I gave you. I gave you passion.”
I faintly hear the crowd begin counting down from ten, but it doesn’t register we’re seconds away from the start of the new year, my mind clouded.
“Like I did for Julia,” he adds.
“What did you say?” I hiss, my eyes wide as my brain swirls with dozens of questions. Did he do the same thing to Julia? Did he assault her, too, getting her pregnant, and that’s why she stayed with him? Or does he mean something else entirely?
“Hope you took good care of my girl,” Wes cuts through, pulling me to him.
“I certainly did,” Nick remarks, draping an arm around Julia’s shoulders.
I should look away from him, focus solely on Wes, but I can’t. Instead, I continue to study his expression for any hint of what he meant by his last statement. But as was always the case, it doesn’t falter. An impenetrable fortress.
When that proves futile, I shift my attention to Julia, an awkwardness in her stature as she stands beside her husband, as if his touch sickens her. Or maybe I just want to see it. I don’t know what to believe anymore, my own eyes feeling like they’re betraying me in the cloud of alcohol and masks.
“Come on, honeybee,” Wes croons as he grips my chin, forcing my eyes back to his. “Let’s ring in the new year.”
I stare into his brilliant blue orbs, urging them to provide me the peace and serenity they have since the beginning. Since he carried me out of that crosswalk and to safety. But they can’t. The safety and security I thought I’d found has been eviscerated.
“Five… Four…,” he says, joining the countdown.
I try to find my voice, but I’m unable, too scared about what this new year will bring. I want to rewind the clock to when Wes and I danced. Want to live life in that moment, and that moment only. I fear what we shared then is gone forever.
“Three… Two… One… Happy New Year!” The room erupts in cheers over the opening measures of “Auld Lang Syne”, confetti and streamers falling from the ceiling, covering everyone.
“Happy New Year,” Wes murmurs, lowering his mouth to mine. “I have a feeling this will be the best year yet.”
I smile, wishing I could share his enthusiasm. But a premonition deep inside tells me everything’s about to change.
“Happy New Year,” I respond, drawing him to me, our lips meeting in a desperate kiss.
For the past few months, Wes has become the calm in the storm of my life, a magic elixir that could chase away the darkness.
I don’t think anything can do that now.
Chapter Thirty-One
Londyn
“This can’t wait until tomorrow?” Wes asks the following afternoon as I step into my living room, dressed in a wrap dress and my knee-high boots.
All night, I’d tossed and turned, unable to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. Whenever I heard a sound outside our suite, my heart leapt into my throat, panic overtaking me at the idea that Nick had somehow sweet-talked his way into getting a key and was about to break in. But that never happened. Still, I needed to get out of that hotel. Needed to go where I felt safe. And that