Read The Gigolo's Bride (The Necklace Chronicles) for Free Online Page B

I'd
rather be on the couch."
    That same sad look skated through his eyes,
and he took in a slow breath and said with a soft voice,
"Goodnight, Ashleigh."
    The door slid shut as he turned and walked
out into the other room, and she stood next to the bed in
dumbfounded silence for several minutes. Had she seen scars on his
back?
    She said "lights off" after she was settled
under the covers, and the room became pitch black in an instant. As
she stared into the darkness, she thought about Earth. Her mother.
Her friends. If she’d known that those last few minutes were going
to be her last on Earth, she would have done things differently.
Called her mother the night before, even though she would have
already been in bed, so she could apologize for not calling and let
her know how much she loved her. Thanked Gwen for being such a
supportive friend. Hugged her book club friends a little tighter, a
little longer. Regret hung heavily around her and tears stung her
eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. She didn’t know what would
happen to her, but she couldn’t give up on the hope that she would
return to Earth at some point.
    Her mind replayed over and over how she’d
been so close to pushing the 'call' button on her cell and talking
to her mother. She prayed she would get a chance to make that call.
Exhaustion settled over her, pushing away the sad thoughts, and she
slipped down into sleep quickly.
     

Chapter 3

     
    She woke up to what sounded like someone
crying out for help. For a moment she thought she was back home in
her bed, but when she reached for her alarm clock to turn it so she
could see the time, she fell off the bed reaching for what wasn't
there.
    Cursing, she said, "Lights on!" The room
illuminated brightly, and she groaned at the intensity. Doing what
Eden had said, she grumbled, "Lights dim!"
    Her eyes adjusted to what amounted to
candlelight, bathing the room in soft amber. Rubbing first her eyes
and then her knees from where she'd landed on the floor, she stood
up and went to the door. It opened, and she didn't hear anything,
but she could see from a small flickering blue stone on the side
table by the couch that Eden was sleeping there. He looked asleep
still, so she was moving to go back into the bedroom when he began
thrashing on the couch and cried out in terror, "No! Don't take her
from me!"
    She rushed to him, ignoring the pain in her
knees as she dropped by the couch and grabbed his flailing hands.
"Eden. Eden!" she said loudly. His eyes popped open and his wild
gaze took a few seconds to focus on her; then he grabbed her to him
in a fierce hug. "I thought they were taking you, Ashleigh."
    Something warmed through her, and although
she knew it was foolish to sit there and let him hold her when she
was trying to figure out a way to get back home, she didn't try to
break his hold. She put her hands around him gingerly and said in a
low voice, "You were having a nightmare, it's okay now."
    He froze and released her abruptly. Sitting
up and scooting away from her, he untangled his legs from the
blanket and said with a trembling voice, "Th-thank you for coming
out here. I'm sorry that I grabbed you."
    She was going to tell him that it was okay,
that she understood nightmares because she’d had her share as a
child, but he didn't give her a chance. He asked if he could use
the bathroom before she went back to bed and she nodded mutely and
watched him stumble into the bedroom. This time, she clearly saw
the scars on his back and had felt them under her fingers. Whatever
had happened to him in the past, he'd not been treated well.
    The flickering blue stone caught her eye and
she reached a tentative hand out for it. There was no warmth coming
from it, so she let her finger graze it lightly. It looked like a
blue crystal with a little flame inside.
    "You'll be okay?" she asked when he returned
to the couch.
    He nodded, embarrassed, and said goodnight.
She walked back to the bedroom and climbed into bed,