Zinnia began pointing out the rest of the room’s amenities. “Bedroom’s over there… Terrace… Kitchen… Not that you’ll need to cook. You can have lunch with the rest of us at the mess hall later. Anything you need, you can just call me.” She took my hand, retrieved a pen from her jacket pocket and scribbled her number on my palm. She’d barely finished writing the last digit over my palm when someone knocked on the door.

“Who on earth could that be?” She muttered to herself.

She headed off to open the door while I made myself comfortable on the living room couch. I could hear an exchange of words between Zinnia and a man with a deep, gravelly voice. I couldn’t hear much, although I did make out the man saying:

“I figured it’s best to just get it over with as soon as possible. Time is of the essence.”

I tuned them out while they finished their conversation. I focused on the view outside. I wonder how Sofia is doing. I shut the unwelcome thought out. I still found her betrayal of me painful. Though I knew that it was impossible not to eventually think of her, I wanted to stray from all thoughts of her for the moment.

I didn’t realize how impossible forgetting Sofia would be – even for just that morning – until Zinnia came back from the door and said, “Ben, I guess you won’t have to wait long. This is Mr. Reuben Lincoln, otherwise known as The Boss.”

Amusement laced her voice, but not a trace of it could be found in his face or mine. My blood began to boil at the sight of the man who called himself Reuben.

“It’s been a long time, Ben.”

“Too long,” I responded through gritted teeth, glaring at the hand he was extending towards me.

His presence answered many of my questions, but it also added dozens more. Standing in front of me - tall, suave, imposing and with green eyes that reminded me of the girl I loved and lost - was Sofia’s father.

Aiden Claremont.

CHAPTER 36: DEREK

When my feet landed on one of the boulders outside the fortress, the way Sofia’s slender form was trembling in my arms was the first thing that registered on my mind.

Her arms clung tight around me, both her hands gripping clumps of my hair. Her face was nuzzled against my neck, her erratic breathing hot against my skin. I leaned my head backwards to get a better look at her face and found her eyes shut tight with terror. She was biting on her lip so hard, I was afraid she might draw blood.

As if everything about you isn’t already temptation enough… The last thing I need is to get another whiff of your blood.

I couldn’t help but smile at how badly her knees were shaking as I placed her on her feet. She opened her eyes, her breaths raspy, as she took in her surroundings. When she saw the smile on my face, she let go of her death hold on my hair and pushed me on the shoulder with one hand. I chuckled, amused by how terrified she looked. That seemed to annoy her.

“Are you crazy?! If you want to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff, you can’t just go do it and take me along for the ride!”

Her outburst only served to amuse me further. “First of all,” I pointed at the wall, “that’s not a cliff. Second, didn’t I tell you I was going to take you to my sanctuary? The leap was a shortcut. Third, you’re alive, aren’t you?”

“Barely!” Her rosy red lips formed into a pout as she crossed her arms over her stomach, her hands clinging to her elbows. Her eyes moist, she looked like she was about to cry. She glared at me. “Stop laughing. I’m still mad at you.”

I made an attempt to keep a straight face if only to appease her. It was never my intention to make light of the emotional outburst she threw at me back at the woods. Truth be told, the encounter was still gnawing at me.

However, I took one look at the crimson blush on her cheeks and the way she was hugging herself as if it would somehow help ward off whatever fears were terrorizing her, and I just couldn’t help myself. It was too precious a sight not to at least grin at. She caught sight of the smile I was trying to keep from my face and slapped her palm over my arm – something annoyed teenage girls seemed to enjoy doing. I tried to hold back a chuckle as I glared at her. This time, however, her mouth twitched. It was easy to see that she was trying hard not to smile. She rolled her eyes and then there it was… She gave in. Lighting up her face was that radiant smile of hers.

I took a few seconds to stare. I wondered if she knew the effect her smile had on me. I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing that momentary flicker of delight on her face whenever she looked at me until I was once again privileged to witness it. We locked eyes for a split second before she stomped her foot over the stone ledge we were standing on. Agitation marred her face as she muttered a rebuke more to herself than to me.

“I’m supposed to be mad at you.”

“You can get mad again later. Plenty of time for that. For now, come with me.” I held the hand she used to assault me and began to assist her as we navigated past the jagged boulders. “The lighthouse isn’t far from here.”

“The lighthouse?” Despite her attempts to stay irritated, I could hear the curiosity in her voice.

“It’s the only establishment on the island located outside the fortress. Apart from me, I think only Vivienne knows it still exists.”

I jumped down a particularly high boulder onto the rocky path below. I held Sofia by the waist and helped her down. I was grateful that the full moon was giving enough illumination for her to see where we were going. Living on an island with no mornings did have its unique set of disadvantages.