Andromeda nodded numbly as Milo slid in the booth next to me.
“We’re here for anything you need,” I told her honestly. “And if you want to find a way to contact Pandora, I’ll help you figure out something. Because… I think she might be coming back.”
“How?” she asked suspiciously.
“She went to visit my grandma,” I explained. “We found out when we went to the nursing home. She said Pandora had been there.”
“But why wouldn’t she visit me?” Andie whispered.
“There has to be a reason, and we’re going to get to the bottom of it,” Milo promised her. “But you know everything we know now.”
We exchanged silent glances, knowing we were lying. There was still the matter of the anonymous blackmailer who demanded money to keep the Lords’ secrets. We hoped now that we’d told Andie the truth – at least part of it, the threats would finally stop.
“Thank you for telling me.” Her voice was shaky, but she seemed more determined than ever as she raised her head high. “I’m going to find out what happened, and I will see her again. I have to.”
“I know you will,” I nodded. “I never should have kept that secret, Andie. And I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you what happened sooner.”
She nodded in acknowledgment of my words but didn’t say it was okay. Still, it felt like we’d turned over a new leaf. Maybe we’d get a fresh start after all.
“I have to go now,” she finally muttered, getting up from the booth, her milkshake untouched.
“Are you sure?” I pushed her drink to her.
“Well, you’re done telling me what you wanted to tell me,” she said, giving me a confused look. “Why else would I stay here? Is there anything else?”
“No,” I managed sheepishly. “But you can still stay, if you want to. The manager lets me close, so we can stay a while longer. Finish your drink, at least?”
She gave me a doubtful look, and for a split second I was convinced she was going to turn me down and walk out on Milo and me. But then her mouth pulled up at the corners, and she nodded.
“Okay. I guess I have time to finish one milkshake.”
* * *
“That was hard,” I breathed hours later, after Pandora’s mom had picked her up from Clancy’s. “I’m so exhausted.”
“I’m proud of you,” Milo squeezed me as I washed our dirty milkshake glasses. “You did really well, Stells. And I know the guys are going to understand why you did what you did.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. “Do you think Andromeda still hates me?”
“No, she doesn’t hate you,” he answered, sounding surer of it than I was. “I don’t think she ever did, princess. But it’s going to take a while for her to get over the fact that we lied to her. Trust me, she’ll come around, though. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“Okay,” I whispered, wiping my hands on a checkered washcloth by the sink after turning off the water. “Hey. Did you send the letter to Eastvale?”
“I did.” He grinned at me widely. “Please don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind.”
“Hell no.” I giggled as he kissed me on the cheek. “I sent mine too. I guess it’s official now.”
“I guess it is.” He smiled, his eyes crinkling when he did. I realized with a pang just how much he meant to me. How much I needed him. “You don’t have any regrets about it, do you?”
I shook my head vehemently. “No, it’s the right call. Neither of us knew why we even wanted to go to Eastvale. It was just a goal we had for years… with no rime or reason to why we were planning on going there.”
“I’m glad you think so, because…” He reached into his pocket and grinned at me as he pulled out two tickets. “I got us the first plane tickets of our journey.”
“What?” I laughed as I took hold of the paper, inspecting the text on them. “We’re going to New Zealand?”
“To start,” he grinned. “After that, I thought we’d hit up Australia. Tasmania sounds nice too. After that, we can make our way to Asia. I’ve always wanted to go to Thailand, and the neighboring countries seem really…” I laughed out loud, shaking my head. “What is it?”
“I just can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered. “That we’re actually going through with it.”
“You mean the gap year thing or the traveling?”
“Both. Oh, I can’t wait, Milo.”
“Me neither.” A brilliant smile lit up his face as he pulled me against him. “We’re going to have the time of our lives.”
“Milo?”
“Yes?”
He looked deep into my eyes and I grinned wide at him. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you.”
“I love you more than anything, princess,” he said in response, his sweet kiss reminding me I’d never be alone again.
Date: July 30th, 2021, sunset
Place: Koh Tao, Thailand
Milo
“Stells!”
She turned around, her beachy waves tumbling down her back as she grinned at me, running toward me. Her body slammed against mine and I laughed, holding her close to my body.
“I was only gone for three hours, princess,” I reminded her. “You’re acting like you haven’t seen me for a month.”
“It was a long three hours,” she said, smiling up at me as I kissed her lips. She tasted like strawberry mojitos.
“Been drinking at the beach bar again?” I asked with raised brows.
“Well, I had to celebrate turning twenty-one somehow,” she replied sweetly.
I smacked her ass before stripping off my wetsuit. Estella went to chat with the others who’d been scuba diving with me as I took off my equipment and headed to the main desk, where the leader of the program, Gustav, grinned at me.
“Hey, man,” I said, leaning closer. “Is everything ready at the bar?”
“Yup,” he nodded with a grin. “All systems are operational. Music will turn on as soon as you walk in and we’ll put the champagne on ice too, just like we discussed.”
“Perfect,” I grinned at him, waving him off as I went back to Estella. Since I’d last seen her, she’d tucked a frangipani flower in her hair, and she looked even more beautiful than before. Although, to be fair, I thought that every time I saw her.
She smiled when she saw me, waving the others goodbye and coming to join me. I wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her against me. She was only wearing an orange bikini, with a sarong tied on top of it, and her feet bare. The only piece of jewelry she was wearing was the pendant with the pebble I’d given her. She looked radiant. Perfect.
“Wanna go back to the house?” she asked, motioning up the sandy beach to one of the beach huts we were renting. “I thought you could tell me all about what you saw, and then we can take a shower together.”
“Is that so?” I grinned at her. “We can do all of that, but I was hoping we could grab a drink at the beach bar first. I’m parched.”
“Sure!” She nodded enthusiastically. “Do you want to get changed first?”
I was still wearing my wet swimming trunks, my calves full of sand. My hair was floppy and wet. I thought about going back to the hut to change our clothes, but a part of me wanted things to stay just the way they were.
“Nah, let’s just head to the bar.”
“Cool. Oh, I brought you these.” She pulled my glasses out of her sarong and handed them to me.
“Thanks, babe.” I put them up the bridge of my nose, grinning down at her as we kept on walking. “How was your day? Missed me a lot, I hope?”
“It was good,” she nodded. “I had a long phone call with Tinsley.”
“Really?” I raised my brows. She’d contacted her former best friend a couple of weeks beforehand, but Tins’ responses had been curt and polite. I didn’t expect them to get on the phone so fast.
“I didn’t really think she’d be willing to talk, I just called her on a whim,” Stells explained. “But she seemed ex
cited to tell me everything. She’s acting a lot now, and she and Crispin are still at Eastvale. It’s their last year.”
“Think you’ll talk to her again?” I inquired carefully.
“Yes.” She seemed so sure of herself it brought a smile to my lips. “I think we were both surprised by how well the conversation went. And I apologized. Profusely.”
“Good.” I spanked her ass, sneaking my hand under the sarong and squeezing the globes of her behind. “That’s really good, princess. Now come on, you ready?”
We’d arrived at the beach bar, and Stells looked up, furrowing her brows.
“You sure there isn’t a private event here tonight or something?” she asked, motioning to the wooden deck overlooking the sandy beach. “Looks like they’ve set up for something, and I don’t see any guests.”
“We’ll see,” I shrugged, offering her my hand. She gave me a suspicious look then followed me up the stairs to our favorite spot on the island. It had the perfect view of the sun setting in the ocean, the beach below like something out of a fairytale. The bar served Stells’ favorite strawberry mojitos, and we always had one in the evening along with a bowl of their famous salted cashews.
Once we arrived at the top of the stairs, she gasped.
“It’s definitely a private event,” she gushed, taking in the gauzy white curtains billowing in the wind, the roses set up everywhere. “We probably shouldn’t be here. Wait, what… w-what are you doing?”
When she turned around, I was on one knee already.
I watched her eyes widen in shock, then the realization of what was about to happen hit her and she couldn’t help the smile tugging on the corners of her lips.
“What’s happening?” she whispered.
“What’s happening is,” I started, pulling out a small pink velvet box I’d slipped into the pocket of my swimming trunks earlier. “I’m finally asking the question I should have asked you years and years ago.”
“Milo.” Her eyes watered, and her hands flew up to her face. She was trembling all over, and I wanted nothing more than to collect her in my arms and make everything okay again.
“Estella Hawthorne,” I started. “You stole my heart the day I met you in primary school. I fell in love with your beauty, your brains and the fact that you refused to be anyone other than yourself. You bend to nobody’s will… except my own, when I make you.” She giggled nervously at that, and I snapped the box open, revealing the princess-cut diamond ring inside and making her gasp out loud. “But there’s nothing I want more than a lifetime of making sure you’re happy, loved, and well-taken care of. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, of course!”
I grinned, sliding the ring on her finger and getting up. She fell into my arms, happy tears streaking her face. I busied myself by kissing them away, leaning down to whisper in her ear.
“I thought you needed an upgrade from the pebble.”
“I love the pebble,” she laughed through the tears. “Don’t discount the pebble, geek boy.”
“Never,” I said solemnly. “Soon enough, the world will know you’re mine. But until then… I’m going to enjoy being the only one who knows you’re going to be the first Mrs. Earnshaw.”
“Oh?” She grinned at me. “You got a special evening planned for us?”
“The most special one yet.” I nodded solemnly just as a waiter came out with champagne.
“Congratulations,” he muttered politely before leaving the bucket to us.
Stells and I settled on our favorite loungers that overlooked the sun setting in front of us, and I popped open the bubbly, pouring two flutes for us and handing my brand-new fiancée her glass.
“Here’s to new beginnings and old loves,” I said.
“And boys who read,” she laughed out loud, clinking our glasses together. “You’ve made me the happiest girl alive, Milo Earnshaw.”
I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose, watching her delighted face taking in the sunset and enjoying the taste of the champagne. I didn’t need to tell her things would be okay anymore. Because finally, our happy ending had arrived.
THE END
I hope you loved Estella and Milo’s story! Please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon - your reviews help me write better books!
The next book in Lords of Wildwood follows Andromeda and Natan, and is coming in 2019.
Before that, my new series is releasing! A Hurt So Sweet is a dark high school romance and follows Pandora. Keep reading for a sneak peek!
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Sneak peek of A Hurt So Sweet
Chapter One
The morning is cold, the wind kissing my flesh and making it erupt in goosebumps. I scoot closer to the edge to get a better look at the waves crashing against the rocky shore beneath me. In the presence of something so majestic, my troubles don’t matter anymore. Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, I’ll be glad things worked out this way. Though that seems impossible now.
In front of me, the sun is setting, tinting the sky in a shade of cotton candy pink that makes my mouth water. I still remember the little pleasures my life used to have. Of course, I can kiss all that goodbye now.
The water beckons me. I want to feel the crash of waves pulling me under. I want my ears, my mouth and my lungs to fill with the bitter taste saltwater. I want to swallow the pain away. And yet I know I’m not brave enough to take that step, the one separating me from falling to my death and my miserable, sad excuse for a life.
I wonder whether anyone will miss me. Perhaps they’ll be relieved to find me gone, dropped to my death just like the girl before me.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“Can’t I just have a moment to myself?” I cry out in frustration, my voice breaking over the words as I whip my body around to face the stranger.
Except he’s not a stranger at all. I’d recognize that face anywhere. I’ve seen dozens of his photos.
He’s tall, dark and handsome. His dark hair is longer on top and shorn close to the skin on the sides. His jaw is razor-sharp, and so are his cheekbones. He’s handsome in a way that’s almost offensive. The way no human should be. But something about his appearance says he isn’t a mere human. He’s like a god among these people. A Firstborn.
I’ve been prepped and groomed for this very moment for four years. A bitter realization hits me as his cruel eyes bore into mine. He hates me as much as I hate him.
And in less than a year, we’ll be married.
“Dexter,” I breathe, and he smirks at me. “Dexter Booth.”
“The very one. And you must be Pandora.”
Time freezes as the name rings out between us. Nobody has called me by my real name in years. It was locked away with the rest of my past, never to be spoken of again.
“I was,” I whisper. “But I’m not allowed to be Pandora Amberly anymore.”
He takes a step closer, a kind smile transforming his painfully beautiful face. “You’re Emilian Oakes’ Firstborn.”
“And you’re Scott Booth’s Firstborn,” I manage. “The only heir left to the Booth fortune.”
“Sounds like you read the manual alright,” he smirks. “I wanted to introduce myself.”
“You’re late,” I remind him. “The party started two hours ago. My father was looking for you.”
He grins, not responding as he takes a step closer. Thoughtfully, he wraps a strand of my dark brown hair framing my expertly painted face around his pointer finger. I inhale sharply. I’ve never been this close to a boy before. But from this close, Dexter Booth is nothing like a boy.
He’s all man.
“Do you know what I am to you?” he asks. “What our relationship is?”
“You’re my…” I can’t force the word out of my mouth. Finally, I spit it out, a shiver going down my spine as I do. “My fiancé.”
“That’s right,” he smirk
s. He seems to notice my leering and takes a step forward. “But don’t you go thinking you actually matter to me, little toy.” My brows furrow when he uses that nickname.
“Don’t call me that.” I don’t like the shift in his attitude. I thought he was nice a moment ago, but as soon as the last sentence left his lips, I knew I was wrong.
“Why ever not?” he mocks. “That’s what I call all the little sluts that get my dick eventually.”
I huff with anger at his crudeness, my first impression of him shattered by his dirty language.
“Even her?” I can’t help but ask. “Even the girl before me?”
His gaze darkens. “I would never call her a toy. That’s all you are to me. She was special. You’re… nothing.”
“I’d rather be nothing than be special to you.” My voice is bitter, and I hate myself for the pang of pain his words send through me. I’m immediately defensive, eager to hold my head high in front of this boy I’m supposed to obey for the rest of my life. I step away from the edge of the cliff, separated from him by only a foot or two. “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m Lily Anna Oakes now. The real Lily Anna Oakes.”
“You’ll never be Lily Anna Oakes,” he reminds me, stabbing another knife into my chest, then twisting, hard. “I don’t give a shit if you’re their blood. You’ll never replace her. You’ll never be anything like her.”
“Wow, someone sounds hung up,” I snicker in response, grimacing at him. We switched from being cordial to insulting one another way too fast, and I hate the way my heart’s pounding because of it. I fight against my own quickened heartbeat, focusing on his sharp jaw and watching the way it sets firmly in place as he regards me with distaste. “I get that you’re upset she died, but it’s not my fault she’s gone. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want it. So maybe you should stop being a disrespectful prick to your fiancée.”
Boys That Read: A High School Romance Page 26