Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
When the ceremony ended, we strolled back to the hotel for the reception. I could barely keep my hands off Ada as we sat at a table with several guests we didn’t know but whom we managed to make entertaining conversation with.
“You make a beautiful couple,” a woman we’d been talking to who worked with Rhys complimented. I caressed the back of Ada’s bare shoulder as we shared a glance. I’d abstained from drinking, but Ada had had two glasses of wine, and her eyes shone with merriment.
“She’s right, you know,” I said a little while later. “We do make an amazing couple.” Ada cast me a look I was beginning to recognise as arousal when the bride and groom appeared before us. It seemed they were doing the rounds, making the time to chat with all their guests.
“Jonathan,” Charli greeted, and I had to admit, she made a stunning bride in her long ivory gown. She was in the early stages of pregnancy, but it wasn’t very obvious yet. “Please introduce us to your lovely date.”
“This is my girlfriend, Ada,” I told them, sliding my arm around her waist and tugging her close.
“I didn’t realise you were seeing someone,” Rhys said, casting me a look like he was impressed I’d managed to snag a woman like Ada.
“Hello,” Ada said, dipping her head demurely as she greeted them. “It’s nice to meet you both. It was a beautiful ceremony. Thank you for having me.”
“Of course,” Charli said while Rhys put in, “I hope this charming bastard is being good to you.”
“Yes, very good,” Ada smiled, leaning into me more. We chatted for a few more minutes before they moved on to the next guests.
“So,” I said, whispering my lips across Ada’s neck. “Now that we’ve eaten and spoken with the happy couple, I think it’s safe for us to retreat to our room.”
Ada bit her lip, casting me a sultry look that had me holding in a groan. “If you insist.”
***
I made sure we had a late check out the next day so Ada and I could spend another lazy morning together. We shared a bath again then enjoyed a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and sourdough toast before getting on the road. The entire two days, I’d fallen deeper and deeper in love with her, and if it weren’t for how conscious I was that we were still finding our feet, I might’ve told her how I felt. But it was too soon, and besides, when the moment was right, I’d feel it.
We were only about a half an hour into the drive home when I noticed her absentmindedly rubbing at her leg.
I cast her a concerned look. “Everything ok?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, I’m fine. Just an old habit. I’m not in pain, but I sometimes still find myself massaging the places where I had issues before my surgery.”
I nodded, her response making me curious. “Ada.” She turned to me, and I hesitated a moment then continued, “Why haven’t you ever told me what really happened to you?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “Jonathan, it’s not really—”
“I know you were in an accident, but you always seem to avoid talking about it.” When I’d asked her about her injury before, it had felt like she was saying as little as possible, like there was more she’d prefer not to relive. And maybe it was selfish of me to prod, but I loved her. An irrational part of me needed to know everything and everyone who’d hurt her in the past.
She was silent for a long while before she spoke, “I was only fifteen when it happened. Frances was twelve. My parents had been going through a rough patch with Dad’s drinking causing a lot of problems in their marriage. So, Dad had the bright idea to take us down the country for a little trip away. He planned to stay sober so we could have some quality family time. Well, the holiday home he booked was in a remote part of Kerry just outside of Tralee. It was the sort of place where you’d barely see a single car drive past over the course of an entire day.”
She paused, and I took my hand off the steering wheel to squeeze her knee, a little sign of encouragement that I was listening and wanted her to continue.
“The first two days were good, but then on the third, Dad went missing in the afternoon for a few hours and came back steaming drunk. Mam threw a fit, and they had one of the worst fights I can remember. She told him she was going home and booked a cab to take us to the nearest train station that would bring us back to Dublin. But Dad was so drunk, and I’d always worried about him being on his own when he was like that in case something happened. I begged Mam not to leave, but she wouldn’t hear it.