“He doesn’t want us to follow him again.”
I ran my hands through my hair and felt wave after hopeless wave wash over me. I didn’t bother ripping the sheet of paper from Alessandro’s hand. I didn’t want to see the evidence of Nix’s rejection. “He’s gone.”
I eyed the bed and made my way over to it. I took off my heels and slipped under the sheets, pressing my nose to the pillow to breathe Nix in. There it was. A woodsy scent layered with vanilla overtones. I breathed again. And again. My tears soaked the pillow as my body trembled. The mattress dipped, and I turned to face Alessandro. “He’s gone,” I echoed.
Alessandro reached out to stroke my cheek. “This is why I didn’t want you to come,” he admitted. “I didn’t want you to feel the pain of disappointment.”
I shifted closer and snuggled against Alessandro’s chest. He welcomed me with open arms, something I didn’t expect. “We’re never going to see him again, are we?”
Alessandro kissed my forehead. “I don’t know.”
I thought about how phoenixes were created. They emerged from the ashes of their existence. They had to burn in order to live. Seeing this empty apartment made me wonder if there was any part of the Nix I knew left or if he was nothing but fleeting flames.
Chapter Five
Grace
“So tell me what the note said again?” Sunshine asked. I pictured her pacing the floors of Gavriel’s penthouse, biting her lip and clenching her fists.
I held the phone between my ear and shoulder while picking up the scrap of paper. “I'm sorry. Please stop looking for me,” I recited. Alessandro and I had ended up staying in Nix’s apartment last night. I wasn’t ready to leave the sheets that smelled like Nix. He held me as I sobbed against his chest, stopping only to go downstairs and grab our luggage. He was currently sitting at the table, working on the computer.
“He’s trying to protect us, but from what?” she asked. I’d been wondering the exact same thing. It kept me up most of last night. “How did Alessandro take the news?”
I stared at the man in question. His dress shirt was wrinkled, and he had rolled up the sleeves so he could type away at his computer. I made my way over to the patio and went outside, closing the door so he couldn’t hear Sunshine and me gossiping. “He seemed to take it well. I was the one breaking down like an idiot. It’s been five years, and I still can’t help but feel devastated. It's just like the day he left.”
“Nix has that effect on people,” Sunshine murmured, her own voice clogged with emotion. “You never really get over the people you love.”
“Alessandro comforted me. Sometimes I feel like we could be friends—real friends. Not like this obligatory partnership we have going on. But then this morning, he got up and didn’t say a word. Nothing. He just started working on his laptop and scowling.”
Sunshine didn’t say anything for a long moment. I stared out at the city street. People were revving up for the day. I could hear a television from a nearby apartment. A mosquito landed on my forearm and stung me. Tiny motorcycles passed by, and the smell of breakfast from a nearby restaurant made my mouth water.
I tried to imagine Nix sitting out here, his muscular frame leaned back in the cushioned patio chair with his legs stretched in front of him. Did he sip whiskey while watching the world? I wondered what his day was like. How did he spend his days, hours, minutes, and seconds away from me? I leaned against the iron bars lining the patio and stared at the lines of brightly painted buildings. The apartment next to us had vines crawling up the stucco. Maybe we could ask the owners if they ever saw Nix?
I jumped when she finally spoke up. “I think you and Alessandro could be really great. I’m actually glad you’re doing this together. If I’m being honest, I’m jealous.” Her voice was broken and sounded strained. I didn’t want to make her cry.
“Jealous?” I asked.
“You have what I lost. You just don’t realize it yet. Fuck, I miss Nix. I need him.”
I absorbed her words before responding. “I don’t think Alessandro and I are like you and Nix. We’re both in love with the same man. We’re both heartbroken. This thing is temporary.”
“It isn’t temporary,” Sunshine promised. “Soulmates come once in a lifetime, Grace. Grab hold of it and never let go.” Her voice broke on a sob, but she continued. “Soulmates aren’t always lovers. They’re the people who patch the holes in your heart. They’re the people who get you. Alessandro has been healing your cracks for five years.” She was full on sobbing, and I felt bad for making her so upset. I was about to ease her with words of assurance when a dark, gritty voice came over the line.
“You made my wife cry,” Gavriel said. He must have grabbed the phone.
I rolled my eyes. If he wanted to be pissed, then he should find Nix and yell at him. “I didn’t do it intentionally.”
“Let me talk to Alessandro. He’s not answering my calls.”
“Hello to you too, Bro. How’s life? What have you been up to?”
“Don’t sass me. Just hand the phone over.” I frowned and let out a sigh. Just once I wanted my brother to actually ask about me, not just demand things.
I went inside and approached Alessandro, holding out my phone for him to take. He rolled his eyes and stopped typing to grab it. “Yes,” he answered.
I stood there, shamelessly eavesdropping. Gavriel spoke for a long while, and Alessandro kept his expression fixed into a blank look before responding. “Yes. Nix left a fingerprint on the network. I managed to find a couple of things but no leads. There was a flight booked to Sydney for the same day we arrived,
