she began. ‘I was thinking that my life was really pretty good, all things considered. That even though I don’t have a boyfriend, I have a pretty good life. And I deserve that life – I work hard, I’m good to my friends and my family. And . . . I’m okay. Not perfect, but maybe better than all the criticisms that seem to be on endless repeat in my head. I was thinking, maybe, a guy – someone like you – would, well, be lucky to have me,’ she muttered, unable to look him in the eyes as she spoke.
Nick raised one eyebrow. His expression hovered between puzzled and concerned, and it took a moment before he spoke. ‘Ah.’
His ambiguous response made Belle’s heart drop. Had she been kidding herself? No. She’d finally come out from behind the curtain that Tony seemed to have pulled over her. Her life was good. With Nick it would be perfect , but how many people these days got perfect?
The crystal seemed to pulse with light now, almost bright enough to cast a shadow.
Nick shook his head slowly. ‘I still don’t know what it all means.’ He gave her a searching look. ‘Do you have any ideas? Anything magical? Anything I wouldn’t think of as an . . . ordinary human?’
You’re anything but ordinary , Belle wanted to say. She bit back the words. ‘Nothing I can think of.’
They sat in silence for a while. Nick stared determinedly at the coffee table between them, and Belle wished she could find the right words, find a way to explain to Nick that she was terribly sorry for breaking into his apartment – she knew it was wrong – but she’d never place him under a spell and undermine his free will in that way. On top of that, she was still so remorseful about creating the phantom lover in Nick’s image that she couldn’t bring herself to muster an effective defence that Nick might even begin to believe. She felt guilty all the way down to her toes.
‘I’ll go,’ she said eventually.
He didn’t look up, just nodded. ‘I think that’d be best.’
‘Nick, I’m so sorry,’ she whispered, doing her best to hold back emotion. She fled his apartment and raced up the stairs to her own, slamming the door behind her just as the well of tears spilled over and her breath broke into sobs.
Chapter 8
Belle hadn’t seen Nick for days. He must have been making an effort to avoid her, because she hadn’t so much as caught sight of him going to or from the building.
Not long after she’d left his apartment the green crystal had returned to its cool and impervious state, but Belle still wore it on the ribbon around her neck, just in case. An ache had settled in her chest, a pain of longing and sadness that was especially severe at night, lying in bed, as she remembered what it had been like to have Nick there with her.
On Friday night Beatrice and Larissa asked her to come out for drinks. Belle reluctantly agreed. She’d been sitting miserably at home every night for the week, and at least this way she’d have a change of scene in her misery.
The bar they’d planned to meet at was the one she went to with her work colleagues, where she’d occasionally seen Nick. She protested weakly that she’d prefer to go to a pub, but her friends didn’t listen. Belle shrugged and gave in. She didn’t have the energy to argue and, besides, it was Nick who was avoiding her, not the other way around.
‘Come on, Belle, cheer up! We’ll get a couple of margaritas into you and you’ll feel much better,’ Beatrice encouraged.
Belle had told her friends a sketchy outline of what had happened, caving in after they questioned her downcast expression and the dark circles under her eyes. As far as Beatrice and Larissa were concerned, Belle had had an unwise fling with a guy from her building.
‘Yeah, all you need is a drink or five and you’ll forget him completely,’ Larissa added, giggling as she batted her eyelids at the bouncer.
Belle sighed. Without meaning to, she had kind of painted Nick as
Nick raised one eyebrow. His expression hovered between puzzled and concerned, and it took a moment before he spoke. ‘Ah.’
His ambiguous response made Belle’s heart drop. Had she been kidding herself? No. She’d finally come out from behind the curtain that Tony seemed to have pulled over her. Her life was good. With Nick it would be perfect , but how many people these days got perfect?
The crystal seemed to pulse with light now, almost bright enough to cast a shadow.
Nick shook his head slowly. ‘I still don’t know what it all means.’ He gave her a searching look. ‘Do you have any ideas? Anything magical? Anything I wouldn’t think of as an . . . ordinary human?’
You’re anything but ordinary , Belle wanted to say. She bit back the words. ‘Nothing I can think of.’
They sat in silence for a while. Nick stared determinedly at the coffee table between them, and Belle wished she could find the right words, find a way to explain to Nick that she was terribly sorry for breaking into his apartment – she knew it was wrong – but she’d never place him under a spell and undermine his free will in that way. On top of that, she was still so remorseful about creating the phantom lover in Nick’s image that she couldn’t bring herself to muster an effective defence that Nick might even begin to believe. She felt guilty all the way down to her toes.
‘I’ll go,’ she said eventually.
He didn’t look up, just nodded. ‘I think that’d be best.’
‘Nick, I’m so sorry,’ she whispered, doing her best to hold back emotion. She fled his apartment and raced up the stairs to her own, slamming the door behind her just as the well of tears spilled over and her breath broke into sobs.
Chapter 8
Belle hadn’t seen Nick for days. He must have been making an effort to avoid her, because she hadn’t so much as caught sight of him going to or from the building.
Not long after she’d left his apartment the green crystal had returned to its cool and impervious state, but Belle still wore it on the ribbon around her neck, just in case. An ache had settled in her chest, a pain of longing and sadness that was especially severe at night, lying in bed, as she remembered what it had been like to have Nick there with her.
On Friday night Beatrice and Larissa asked her to come out for drinks. Belle reluctantly agreed. She’d been sitting miserably at home every night for the week, and at least this way she’d have a change of scene in her misery.
The bar they’d planned to meet at was the one she went to with her work colleagues, where she’d occasionally seen Nick. She protested weakly that she’d prefer to go to a pub, but her friends didn’t listen. Belle shrugged and gave in. She didn’t have the energy to argue and, besides, it was Nick who was avoiding her, not the other way around.
‘Come on, Belle, cheer up! We’ll get a couple of margaritas into you and you’ll feel much better,’ Beatrice encouraged.
Belle had told her friends a sketchy outline of what had happened, caving in after they questioned her downcast expression and the dark circles under her eyes. As far as Beatrice and Larissa were concerned, Belle had had an unwise fling with a guy from her building.
‘Yeah, all you need is a drink or five and you’ll forget him completely,’ Larissa added, giggling as she batted her eyelids at the bouncer.
Belle sighed. Without meaning to, she had kind of painted Nick as
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