‘Who’s we? Are the rest of your reunion friends there too?’
Aerin bit her lip. How could she lie to one of her closest friends? Especially Harper, who had been lied to throughout her childhood by the father who abandoned her even before she was born and then failed to come to her aid when her mother died. ‘You can’t tell anyone but I’m here with Drake. Alone. He took me to a lovely cottage in the country because the reunion hotel room was a bit cramped. It only had one bed and no sofa. But then a weather front came over and we got snowed in. We can’t leave until it melts.’
Harper whistled through her teeth. ‘Way to go, sister. Snowbound with your worst enemy.’
‘He’s not any such thing.’ Aerin knew she sounded overly defensive but couldn’t strip back her tone in time.
‘Well, well, well,’ Harper said. ‘Looks like you two have kissed and made up.’
There was a beat or two of telling silence.
‘And not only kissed, if I’m any judge,’ Harper said.
‘I’m not saying anything because I promised Drake I wouldn’t. He doesn’t want our...erm, involvement to be in the gossip pages. Nor do I want my family to know.’
‘Hon, are you sure you’re not getting in over your head? You’re a babe in the woods when it comes to men like Drake Cawthorn.’
‘I know what I’m doing.’
‘So, what happens when you come back home? Will your secret involvement continue?’
‘No, that’s the agreement. We end it as soon as we get back to London.’ Her heart ached at the thought of ending their relationship. How would she handle it?
Harper sighed. ‘Oh, hon. I can sense heartbreak looming.’
‘You were the one who suggested I ask him to come to the reunion with me,’ Aerin pointed out.
‘I know and that’s why I’m worried about you now. You’ve got the softest heart and he has the hardest. How is that ever going to work out?’
It was Aerin’s turn to sigh. ‘Tell me something I don’t already know.’
Two days later, although the snow was still thick on the ground, the sun was out and shining, making the countryside look all the more stunningly beautiful. London seemed a long way away and Aerin dreaded returning, knowing it would spell the end of this magical time with Drake.
Drake joined her outside and squinted against the blinding bright sun. He held his hand up to shield his eyes. ‘The snow won’t last long with a bit of sunshine.’
‘No...’
He lowered his hand from his face and looked at her. ‘This is the first time in a long time that I’ve taken time off work. I need to do it more often but there’s always another client or a pressing court issue.’
Aerin looped her arm through his and he drew her closer to his side. ‘You’ve always been a high achiever. Tom told me you left everyone in the shade at university.’
He gave a soft grunt. ‘Yes, well, I had something to prove, I guess.’ He gave her a grim smile and continued, ‘I wanted my life to count for something to make up for the loss of my mother and sister. They didn’t get to reach their potential, so I made sure I more than reached mine.’
Aerin leaned her head against his shoulder, wishing she could take away his pain but knowing it was impossible. How could anyone get over such a tragic loss? ‘I’m sure they would be very proud of you.’ She waited a beat and asked, ‘What was your sister’s name?’
‘Natasha but I always called her Tash. My mother’s name was Rosemary.’
There was a long silence before he spoke again.
‘Thank you.’
‘For?’
‘For not asking what my father’s name was. I hate remembering him in any capacity. His whole life was built on lies and deception and double-dealing. My mother was drawn in by his charm and only realised her mistake when she gave birth to me. Everything changed after that. He became even more controlling, and it only got worse when Tash was born two years later. I did all I could to protect them, but it wasn’t enough. I can’t tell you how many times I begged my mother to go to the police, but she was too frightened to do so. I think she knew he would kill her if she left him. I didn’t understand that dynamic as a kid but I do now.’
Aerin put her arms around his waist and held him tightly. ‘Oh, Drake, I can’t bear the thought of all you’ve suffered.’
His arms gathered her closer, his chin resting on the top of her head. ‘Enough talk of my awful past. Do you know what I’d like to do right now?’