by Lacuna Reid
I smile weakly. “Okay. Thanks,” I say, and I mean it. I might not really be in a smiley mood but it’s sweet of her to go to the trouble to put me at ease.
“Things seem complicated,” she says. “I’m not going to ask you for details but I just want you to know that I’m here for you if you need me.”
“Thanks…” I say. “Umm, did you… did you hear…”
“About Victor?” Marina fills in. “Yes, Gino told me. What a creep. You know I always thought there was something wrong there. I could never understand why Theo kept him around, but I never suspected anything like that.”
“I guess none of us did,” I say.
“You’ve been through a lot, huh?” Marina says. “Hey, if you like, we could have coffee together sometime. I make a mean latte.”
“That sounds nice,” I say, smiling more warmly this time.
I say goodbye to Marina and head out through the main doors, and into the forest. I’m looking for the pathway to Helio’s hut, I can’t remember where it is. Then I hear the hammering sound that I’ve heard him make before and follow it.
Helio is back in the first place I ever ran in to him out here in the forest, smashing a mallet against the same spot. His muscular busy gleams with sweat. He’s only wearing a singlet and shorts, not leaving much to the imagination, but my mind goes there anyway, imagining that I’m the one he’s pounding all his strength into. Mmmmm
“Fixing the water pump again?” I ask.
Helio turns towards me as if he knew I was there all along – as if he was expecting me. His face spreads into a slow smile.
“This damn thing always breaks,” he says, gesturing to the spot where he was hammering. “The aluminium comes loose around here.” Then Helio looks back at me. “How can I help you, Princess?”
“So I’m back to being a princess again, am I?”
“What would you prefer I call you?” Helio asks, and this time there’s a note of earnestness in his voice, as if he’s concerned he might have offended me. I’m used to Helio being all arrogance and cocky charm. I’m not used to him being concerned about something small like this.
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I guess most things would be better than ‘princess’.”
“Noted,” Helio says, and turns back towards the water pump to appraise his work.
“Helio, I’m sorry,” I say. “I should have told you I was married. I didn’t think it was important… I mean, it was a long time ago and Cliff’s not in my life anymore.” …well, not if I can help it anyway.
“No need to apologise to me, Mira. De nada – it’s nothing. Save your apologies for the others, they might care more.”
“You don’t care?” I say and the words cut into me as they fly out of my mouth… I must be feeling sensitive after the ordeal. I shake myself. Of course I’m feeling sensitive. I was almost murdered. It’s still so surreal and I don’t know how to integrate all that into my normal experience of life.
“Hey, hey, not like that…” Helio says; his voice is gentle. He steps towards me, looking as if he wants to hug me, but then stops. It’s either because he remembers he’s not a cuddler, or he just realises how sweaty he is. “I mean – your marital status is nothing to me. I don’t believe in marriage.”
“Neither do I,” I say, relieved. Although there’s a feeling of disappointment too, as if there’s a small surprising part of me that wants Helio to want me so much that he suddenly does believe in marriage… it’s ridiculous, but it’s there.
“Hah – if anything it’s kind of sexy,” Helio says. “Fucking a married woman…”
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you for reading my book! If you want to find out what happens next you can order book 3!
If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, you can sign up for my reader list.
Please consider leaving a review. I always appreciate reviews and seeing what readers have to say!
I wanted to write the Circle of Souls series because I’ve had a lifelong interest in past lives and reincarnation.I’ve read so many books about this topic that resonated with me, including some really compelling research!
If you’re interested in learning more about reincarnation, I recommend looking up the work of Iain Stevenson, Michael Newton, Brian Weiss, and the Michael Teachings.
About the Author
Lacuna Reid writes both fantasy and contemporary romance with a paranormal twist. She lives in beautiful New Zealand, where she enjoys writing books over a cup of earl grey tea or a glass of rosé wine, and eating all the delicious foods! She loves learning and has studied herbalism and completed a diploma in hypnotherapy. She’s also a total astrology geek! Follow Lacuna on social media to see what she’s up to.