Chapter 89: Reunion
Georgia stirred, a subtle tremor beneath her jolting her awake. For a fleeting second, she thought it was an earthquake. Her heart lurched, her senses snapping to alertness. She quickly sat up to check what was going on.
"You’re awake! I missed you!"
The high-pitched voice, familiar and warm, cut through the haze in her mind.
Her eyes widened, tears spilling before she could even blink. She threw her arms around the small figure that had launched into her, clutching her like the world might try to steal her away again.
"Katie... Oh my God! I missed you, too!" Georgia’s voice cracked as she pulled back just enough to cup her niece’s soft cheeks, memorizing every detail of her face. "I thought... I thought I’d never see this cute face again."
"Why not?" Katie giggled, completely oblivious to the storm Georgia had endured. "You just got married, why wouldn’t you see me? Did you enjoy your honeymoon? Nanna said that after people get married, they go on a vacation called a honeymoon. Where did you go?"
Georgia let out a trembling laugh, brushing her tears away. She hugged the little girl again, breathing in the safety she represented. "There was a storm, a big one. The wedding didn’t happen, but... the vacation did. We went to an island. It was beautiful."
Katie’s eyes went round with interest. "Really? Did you bring me shells? Or souvenirs?" she asked, brimming with innocent curiosity.
"I had some pearls," Georgia said softly, "but the storm took them. Still..." She forced a smile, "Tell me, how did you get here?"
"Your new friends brought us." Katie tugged at Georgia’s hand with an urgency only children have. "Come, let’s eat! I was hungry, but I waited for you. Last night you wouldn’t wake up, so I ate without you."
Georgia froze mid-step. Last night? She turned to the window, and the light streaming in was far too bright. Morning.
Her gaze swept over the room. Her breath hitched. There were more suitcases than before. Luggage that hadn’t been there yesterday.
And then it hit her... flashes of last night. The chaos on the bed. The heat between her and Nick. The cuffs. The orgasms. Her eyes dropped to her own body. She was dressed in clean pajamas. The towels and cuffs were gone.
"It’s morning, Auntie Georgia," Katie chirped, already halfway to the door. "They said you were tired, so we let you sleep. But Nanna said I should wake you up, you need to eat." She didn’t wait for a response, darting out of the room like a whirlwind of innocence.
Georgia stood there a moment longer, gave the room one last look, and there was definitely more luggage than before. She’s not dreaming.
Georgia followed Katie out of the room, her bare feet barely touching the polished floor, heart still unsettled from the strange unease lingering in her chest.
The moment she stepped into the living room, her gaze swept over the scene.
Katie, bright-eyed and chattering; Nanna Wendy, the Lewis family’s long-time maid and Katie’s watchful nanny; and then, her breath caught another figure.
A figure she loved just as fiercely as her niece.
"Ella!" Georgia’s voice broke, her feet moving before thought could catch up. She ran and all but threw herself into her best friend’s arms, clutching her like a child who had been lost too long. The sob that tore free was raw, unguarded.
"Oh, for heaven’s sake, Georgia Jennifer Lewis," Ella chided with mock severity, her voice trembling despite the smile curling her lips, "you’re a grown woman, wailing in front of everyone."
Laughter rippled through the room, but Georgia only clung tighter. "I don’t care. I missed you!"
Ella’s arms tightened around her in return, her own composure cracking as tears welled. "I missed you, too, Bee. Thank God, I’m glad you’re safe."
The intimate moment was cut like a blade through silk.
"Bee—as in baby?" Nick’s voice sliced through the air, drawing all eyes toward him. The warmth in the room shifted, tension spooling in the silence that followed.
Ella broke the hold first, wiping her face with brisk fingers. "No. Bee, as in honeybee," she said, the corner of her mouth quirking despite her glassy eyes.
"Back in school, she’d spend her breaks watching bees in the garden instead of talking to people. That’s why she has no friends. Just flowers and buzzing wings. That’s how I met her. This weird girl is mesmerized by honeybees. And I’ve been stuck with her ever since."
The laughter returned, lighter this time, but Georgia’s heart was still beating hard in her chest, aware of Nick’s gaze lingering like a shadow.
"Hey! I had friends," Georgia countered with a playful glare. "You’re just as weird. That’s why you kept following me."
"I did not!" Ella planted her hands on her hips, frowning in mock outrage.
Georgia drew in a breath to fire back, but the soft giggle of Katie cut through their playful sparring.
"Are you fighting, Aunt Georgia? Aunt Ella?" Katie asked, eyes wide.
Georgia dropped to her knees in front of her niece instantly, smoothing the little girl’s hair. "Oh, no, sweetheart," she said gently, forcing her voice into calmness. "We’re not fighting."
"Alright, Ms. Lewis," Ella’s voice rang out, light and teasing yet painted with that bossy affection only she could pull off. "Since you’re already awake, get dressed. Your niece is starving, and so are we. Breakfast is downstairs. Gods, you sleep like the dead. What on earth did you do last night to be this exhausted?"
The question was innocent. The weight of it... wasn’t, at least for Georgia and Nick.
Georgia’s eyes flicked to Nick before she could stop herself.
A rush of heat, an unbidden memory, His hands gripping her hips, his mouth claiming hers, the sound of her own breathless moans filling the dark, flashed hot and merciless in her mind.
She parted her lips to speak, but Nick’s deep voice cut in first, smooth and deliberate.
"Life on the island wasn’t exactly comfortable," he said, eyes locked on her as though daring her to look away. "I figured it was better for her to sleep than eat last night. We had plenty of food there, but no bed. At least... not a comfortable one."
The implication hung in the air like a loaded weapon. Vicky’s knowing smirk said she knew exactly what happened yesterday while everyone was away.
"You’re right," Ella replied briskly, though her brow arched slightly. Then she turned back to Georgia, shooing her with a gesture. "Go on, girl, dress up."
Vicky stepped forward, all too eager. "I’ll come with you. I transferred your clothes, let me show you."
The moment the door to their room shut behind them, Vicky moved with purpose, snatching up a makeup kit from the dresser.
"Hold still," she murmured, tilting Georgia’s chin up. "Let’s cover your kiss marks from the island. Some of them are still visible... especially the ones right here—" her finger brushed the side of Georgia’s neck, and Georgia flinched, embarrassment rushing to her cheeks, "—unless you want everyone to see exactly what you were doing last night."
Georgia managed a grateful smile. "Thank you, Vicky. I’m guessing you and Liam were the ones who picked them up yesterday when you went out?"
Vicky’s lips curved. "Mm-hm. We had a few errands to run first before heading to the airport. But don’t thank me—Nick thought of it. We just followed through."
"Still," Georgia said softly, "you made time for it when you didn’t have to. Thank you for picking them up, for helping us. I owe you big time. You, Liam, Oliver—"
"You don’t owe me a thing," Vicky interrupted with a mischievous grin, dabbing concealer over the faint bruise. "Nick will pay us back with whatever we ask for. And trust me—" her eyes glinted as if she were already plotting, "—I’ll make sure it’s the most expensive thing in the store."
Georgia laughed, the sound easing the knot in her chest... but outside the door, she could still feel Nick’s presence.
Watching. Waiting. As if the morning’s peace was nothing more than a thin curtain before the next storm.
’I’ll make sure to talk to him later. I can’t leave without telling him how I feel,’ Georgia told herself as Vicky finished covering her neck with make-up.
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Thank you for the Golden Tickets!
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