Had she already lost her heart to him? Was that why she was still here even though she’d received word that all the renovations had been completed on her bungalow?
She looked at her mother, who was wise in the ways of the heart. “But how am I to know what he wants?”
“The question you have to answer first is what do you want?”
“I... I don’t know.”
“Listen to your heart—it will guide you.”
“If only it was that easy.” But every time she listened to her heart, her mind intervened with all of the reasons that pursuing anything with Apollo wouldn’t work.
“Don’t push yourself. You’ve been through a lot, and so has he. But I have to say that your sister would be so proud of you.”
Popi’s heart stuttered. How could she be so caught up with Apollo? It wasn’t right.
If it wasn’t for her sister’s death, she wouldn’t be here. And Andrina wouldn’t have died if it hadn’t been for her. Which meant that she didn’t deserve Apollo. She didn’t deserve to have the perfect family that her sister had been robbed of.
“No, she wouldn’t.” Popi couldn’t meet her mother’s gaze. “Andrina should be here, not me.”
“That’s nonsense. I know that it’s hard without your sister. I miss her every day. But one life is not more important than the other. I love you both, equally.”
Her mother’s unconditional love is what had gotten her through so much in life, including her sister’s death. But there was something her mother didn’t know—that she was the one who’d insisted that her sister be on that boat. She just didn’t know how to admit to something so horrible.
“Mum, there’s something you don’t know—”
Knock-knock.
Apollo stuck his head in the doorway. “I heard we had company.”
Introductions were made, and as though the baby sensed Apollo was in the room, Seb fussed, wanting to be picked up. Apollo readily lifted the baby into his arms as though Seb had always belonged there.
She noticed how Apollo had changed into clean clothes. Still, he had the worst timing. But then again, maybe it was for the best. Her mother would just end up trying to make Popi feel better for what had happened to her sister. Her mother wouldn’t throw around blame—that wasn’t her way. And Popi didn’t deserve her mother’s sympathy and understanding.
And most of all, she didn’t deserve Apollo...no matter how much she wished it was otherwise. Because this was the life her sister should have been living—an adoring man, a beautiful home and a smiling, happy baby.
Popi thought she was coming to terms with losing her sister and learning to live with the loss, but every time she held Seb and that little boy stared up at her with those big brown eyes—so much like Andrina’s—the guilt washed over her.
She was the reason Andrina was on that boat. Popi’s ultimatum was the only reason her sister had reluctantly gone out on the water. And that was why Popi couldn’t let herself enjoy a family that was hers out of default. It wasn’t right. Andrina should be here, watching her beautiful baby boy grow.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
HE COULDN’T SLEEP.
It wasn’t from worry. And it wasn’t from unpleasant memories.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
For the first time in his life, Apollo was content and happy right here at home. He never thought that could happen. In fact, he had been quite certain that returning to the Drakos estate would be like a life sentence of misery.
And all this happiness was due to Popi.
His friend’s warning about Popi echoed in his mind. He quickly dismissed it. Matias didn’t know Popi. If he did, he’d realize she would never intentionally hurt anyone. After all, she even rescued helpless kittens.
She was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. She could make something as mundane as breakfast be like a grand meal with her comical stories of Seb, her radiant smiles and her genuine interest in him. No one before her had ever taken such an interest in his life—not even his brother.
And he didn’t want to miss a moment of the sunshine Popi had brought to his life.
Because he knew in the end that this wasn’t going to last. This peaceful serenity that had taken over his life would end as soon as Popi walked out the door. And then what? He’d long to escape once again on one of his adventures?