Page 65 of Secrets of the Past
For a moment, he just lay there, memorizing her in the morning light.This wasn’t a dream.She was here.
Carefully, he slipped free, pressed a kiss to her temple, and crossed to the corner of the room.The coffeemaker sputtered to life, filling the air with the sharp scent of brewing coffee.He poured two mugs, the steam curling upward.
Sliding open the balcony door, he stepped outside.The ocean stretched endlessly, its surface glittering under the rising sun.He took a deep breath, letting the salty air fill him, a peace settling into his bones he hadn’t felt in decades.
No matter what the future held, he wanted her at his side.He would fight for her, move heaven and earth if he had to, and never again let anything—or anyone—tear them apart.Not even his mother.Especially not his mother.
Behind him, the door opened softly.Nicole appeared, wrapped in the motel blanket, her hair tousled, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
Seeing her now pulled him straight back to that first morning they’d woken as husband and wife—the glow in her eyes, the way she’d stolen his breath.Only now, she was even more beautiful, time and heartache somehow shaping her into the woman he could never stop wanting.
She’d been his then, and God help him, she was even more his now.
He handed her a mug.Their fingers brushed, and she smiled, small and secret, like they were sharing the best-kept secret in the world.
“This feels amazing,” she said, gazing out at the ocean and then looking at him.
“Like the first day of the rest of our life,” he said.
A blush filled her cheeks, and she reached out and took his hand.
They stood side by side at the railing, sipping coffee, watching the tide pull in and out.The silence was companionable, deep, a balm to everything they had endured.
Finally, Nicole tilted her face toward him.“We still have to face them,” she said quietly.“All of them.And learn the truth.”
Tripp nodded, slipping his arm around her shoulders.“We will.Together.This time, it’s ours to decide.”
She leaned into him, her head against his shoulder.“Then whatever comes… we’ll survive it.”
All he wanted was to drop to one knee and ask her to be his forever, to finally finish what they’d started twenty years ago.But before they could claim the future waiting for them, they had to confront the past and burn away every lie that had ever stood between them.Only then would the future truly be theirs.
And when the past was finally buried, he would put a ring on her finger and never let her go again.
He kissed the top of her head, pulling her closer beneath the blanket.
For the first time in twenty years, he believed her.
Chapter22
It had been over twenty years since Nicole had been in Tripp’s family home, which felt cold and loveless.
Suzanne Masterson’s living room was as pristine and suffocating as Nicole remembered.The white marble floors gleamed, the chandelier glittered, the faint perfume of roses clung to the air.Everything about the house screamed of control, power, perfection, and exclusion.
Nicole sat stiffly on the sofa.Her parents perched nearby, nervous and pale.They hadn’t wanted to come today, but she’d insisted.
Suzanne entered with her usual regal grace, pearls gleaming at her throat, her presence commanding the space.
“Let’s not waste time,” Suzanne said coolly.“I have guests arriving later.We all know why we’re here.”
What had she ever done to that woman to deserve such contempt, other than being born without money or power in her veins?She’d clawed her way up, graduated at the top of her class, earned her law degree, and built a reputation as one of the best prosecutors in the state.And still—it wasn’t enough.Nothing would ever be enough for Suzanne Masterson.
Why was she not good enough to marry her son?
Nicole’s pulse hammered.“Tell me.Tell us everything you’ve kept from us.”
Tripp crossed the room and slid his hand into hers, the gesture firm, deliberate.It wasn’t just comfort, it was a statement.They stood together now, side by side, no longer the kids their parents could bully or manipulate.Yet the air in the room bristled with tension, every glance sharp, every silence heavy.It didn’t feel like family.It felt like stepping onto hostile ground.
With Tripp’s hand in hers, she finally felt strong enough.This time, she wouldn’t stand alone, and she wouldn’t back down.
