Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 93(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 93(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
I watch the doorknob to our bedroom rattle. Then I hear a curse, and Tabby does the bird call again. It’s something we’ve done since we were kids. Whenever one of us would want to come to the other’s room when our mom had already told us to stay put, we’d call out, whistling like a bird. I smile as I walk over and flip the lock. I barely get the door open and Tabby has her hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me from the room and dragging me down the hall. As she does, she’s checking doors, looking for an unlocked one.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
She turns and shushes me. I roll my eyes and go along with whatever she’s up to. Finally she finds an unlocked door and pulls me into what looks like a library. I glance around it, thinking how perfect it is. I’ve always wanted a library of my own. It even has one of those sliding ladders you use to get books from high shelves.
“Where have you been?” she barks at me, drawing my eyes away from all the books.
“What do you mean? I’ve been with my husband. We got married yesterday. You were there.” I shake my head at her.
“That was three days ago! Three days! I’m having sister withdrawals. We haven’t even talked about stuff.” At the word stuff she wiggles her eyebrows.
“It hasn’t been three days.”
“Yeah it has.” She puts her hands on her hips, adopting her know-it-all face.
I think on it. We have eaten several meals, made love dozens of times, and even taken a few showers and baths together. The room has been locked up tight. Only a few random knocks on the door when someone would leave food. The window curtains have all been closed. The drapes are so heavy no light filters through.
Then I know why. Roman. I’ve been so lost in him. I’m hopelessly in love with him, and the last few days have been the best of my life.
“You’re in love,” my sister says when I don’t respond She knows I’ve gotten lost in thoughts of Roman, just as I’d gotten lost in him over the past few days, it seems. “I can practically see the hearts in your eyes.”
“I am,” I admit easily. “So in love. He’s nothing like I thought he’d be. I know it’s fast, but—”
“Trust me, you don’t have to explain it to me. I see it on your face. And well…” She holds up her hand and I see a giant rock on her finger.
“Oh my God.” I jump on her, and we both tumble to the ground. A fit of giggles bursts from us.
I roll over to look at her after our laughter finally dies down. I grab her finger and look at the ring. It’s simple and beautiful. The band is studded with diamonds, and smaller gems surround the larger central stone.
“Did he pick this out?” I ask, and she nods. “It’s so you.”
“Just like yours,” she says, looking at mine.
Roman gave me my wedding ring during the ceremony, and it’s absolutely perfect. It’s an opal surrounded by diamonds. It’s been in his family for centuries. I felt so honored when he put it on my finger, and I wanted to make him proud of me while wearing it.
Tabby seems flashy and likes to dress up, but deep down she wants a simple life—a house filled with kids while she runs around after them. I might not be into jewelry, but family is the most important thing to me. And my ring is a symbol of that.
“I’m in love, too,” she admits, shrugging one shoulder.
“You’re leaving?” I say, having mixed feelings about it. I would leave with Roman, too, if I had to.
She grabs my hand and links her fingers with mine. “I’m not going far. His house is about a mile from here. Our house,” she corrects herself, a smile lighting up her face.
“Who would have thought a week ago this would be us?”
“I know, Al, it’s crazy!” Tabby says excitedly.
“Alena!” I hear my name bellowed from outside the room, and then I hear doors in the hallway being thrown open. We start laughing again because we know it’s Roman on a mad search for me.
“I gave my man the slip, too. Should we hide and make it harder on him?” Tabby asks, making me laugh harder, which I’m sure gives away our location.
The doors to the library fly open, and Roman fills the space. He doesn’t say anything, only strides toward me and lifts me off the floor. Then he throws me over his shoulder.
“You ruined my surprise,” he says, almost like he’s pouting.
“How did you know—” I try to ask, but he cuts me off.
“I know everything about you.” He stalks out of the room, leaving my sister behind us, laughing.