The silence on the island had become its own kind of noise.
I spent most mornings on the balcony now, watching the ocean stretch endlessly in every direction. There was beauty in the isolation, but also a crushing weight. No boats came anymore. No messages. No chances. Daddy had made sure of that.
He joined me as the sun climbed higher, wrapping his arms around me from behind. His hand settled over my rounded belly like it always did protective, possessive, constant.
“You’ve been quiet again,” he murmured against my hair. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I leaned back into his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
“I keep wondering what my mother would say if she could see me now,” I whispered. “Pregnant. Collared. Choosing to stay with the man who…”
I couldn’t finish the sent
