Free Arielle Immortal Resolve (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 8) by Lilian Roberts

tight against his body and they drifted to sleep.
     

Chapter 5
    SEBASTIAN AND ARIELLE never discussed the unfortunate incident again. It’d been two weeks since their conversation on the beach and her emotions were pretty similar to a rollercoaster ride. Every morning she woke up wishing that some of the recent events were just a dream, but reality would kick in and she’d find herself heartbroken again. Sebastian spent most of his time with Troy at the office, while she spent most of her time helping Gabrielle, whose wedding day was fast approaching.
    Arielle spent quality time with her parents and took long walks with her father in the garden. This was something they hadn’t done for a very long time and her father was delighted. Sebastian was warm and loving but he wouldn’t allow his affection to go any further than a soft kiss or a tight embrace. Each and every night he followed the same routine; stayed up quite late either reading a book or watching the telly, and wouldn’t go to bed until he thought Arielle was asleep, at which time he would slip quietly under the covers.
    Arielle felt distraught and ashamed at pretending to be asleep, but she wasn’t going to bring it up. All she could do was remain quiet, her eyes filled with tears. In the morning he was gone before she woke, leaving freesia on her pillow and his usual note, Miss me.
    Every day she rose with the same lingering frustration and the overwhelming desire to talk with Sebastian. She was determined to explain her madness, but instead would bury her head in her pillow and cry. She missed his warm embrace and she was having a hard time sleeping.
    Gabrielle must’ve noticed that she didn’t have much interest in the wedding preparations and that her mind was somewhere else consistently. Arielle was sure Gabrielle had already heard every ghastly detail from Troy and she didn’t want to add any more fuel to the fire by discussing it with Arielle. Gabrielle was sweet and understanding, and Arielle’s best friend. She would wait until Arielle was good and ready to talk, and not a minute before that.
    It’d been almost three weeks since the incident. Gabrielle and Arielle made plans to drive to the Lanes and do some shopping. Arielle didn’t know how to hold back her frustration any longer. She dreaded the subject, but had to get it out of her system...TODAY. Eva and Ian were coming home soon and she desperately needed to get her life back in order.
    Gabrielle showed up around 11:00 to pick up Arielle. She slipped into the passenger seat and pretended to look nonchalant.
    “Hey there,” Gabby greeted cheerfully.
    “Hi, Gabby.” Tension dominated Arielle’s vocal cords. She tried to hide her nervousness, resisting the need to gaze toward Gabby.
    “Are you all right?” Gabrielle asked, with a tentative smile. She knew her best friend was deeply troubled because Troy had discussed the miserable details about Sebastian’s incident. Arielle looked lost in her thoughts and Gabrielle felt a wave of compassion. She fumbled with the steering wheel, waiting for Arielle to say something.
    “Gabby, I’m going out of my mind,” she finally mumbled.
    “Do you want to talk?” Gabby’s green eyes assessed Arielle, giving her time to make a decision.
    Arielle put her hands to her face and began to sob.
    Gabrielle hesitated for a moment then pulled Arielle’s hand away from her face and turned her gently towards her.
    “Arielle, I’m here, talk to me,” Gabby whispered.
    Arielle pressed her lips together and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. She dropped her hands to her lap and sighed, but remained silent. Gabrielle started the car and they drove to the mall in silence.
    When they arrived at the Lanes, Gabrielle pulled into a remote parking spot and stopped. She didn’t have to wait long before Arielle unleashed her frustration.
    “I—I’m miserable,” she said in a quivering voice, tears pouring down her face.
    “What is it?”