Read Online Inferno Anthology by Jessica Sorensen, Aleatha Romig, Kailin Gow, Cassia Leo, Lacey Weatherford, Liv Morris, Vi Keeland, Kimberly Knight, Addison Moore, Laurelin Paige - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jessica Sorensen, Aleatha Romig, Kailin Gow, Cassia Leo, Lacey Weatherford, Liv Morris, Vi Keeland, Kimberly Knight, Addison Moore, Laurelin Paige
Ads: Link
nose, it was clear no one around them existed. They were alone in their own romantic little world.
“Let’s leave them alone,” Taryn suggested as she turned to go the other way.
“Newlyweds,” Errol said with an indignant huff. “The place is full of them. Or maybe they just got engaged. If the sucker only knew what he was getting himself into.”
Taryn shot him a nasty glare. “How romantic of you,” she spat.
They came upon a view of Pont Alexandre III and Montmartre in the distance, and Taryn was swept away by the romanticism of it all. How perfectly spectacular, she thought.
“I’m a pragmatic realist,” he argued as he gazed at the famed Chateau.
“You don’t believe in marriage?” She’d heard he was an elusive bachelor but had never really thought he was so dead set against marriage.
“Believe? What’s to believe? You get hitched because some woman wants a damned ring on her finger and all the fluff that goes with a wedding.” He looked pointedly at her. “You wannabe princesses all want that damned wedding. What’s the deal? If half the women out there put as much effort into actually pleasing the guy they claim to love enough to put through this farce as they do into the farce of the wedding itself, maybe the divorce rate wouldn’t be what it is.”
“Wow,” she droned. “What a sad take on something so beautiful.”
He leaned over the banister and looked straight down. “If it’s really that beautiful, why do more than half of them end with fighting and hating?”
She didn’t know what to say. Her view of marriage had always been a little magical, like most girls. She had her own dreams of walking into Kleinfeld’s and picking out the perfect Pnina Tornai dress. She’d envisioned the flowers, the venue, the food. The reception hall would be in white and silver, and she’d often flirted with the notion of a color theme for all the guests. Her bridesmaid would…
Oh my God. Errol was right, she thought with dismal frankness.
“You’re just now waking up to the realization, aren’t you?”
She blushed as she saw him looking intently at her.
“I saw it,” he said as he drew his finger in the air around her face. “That look in your eyes. You’ve had those fairytale dreams, too, haven’t you?”
Shrugging off his accusation, she turned to Paris. “When I was six, maybe, but since then I’ve grown up and I have a more adult view of marriage. Of course, I know there are a lot of divorces out there, but that still doesn’t mean a happy marriage can’t exist.”
“For six months, top. After that you just have a couple who tries to pretend they want to be together. Before long they’re barely able to stand being in the same room together. Then it’s just a matter of having an affair right then and there, thereby stretching the marriage out a little longer, or doing the honorable thing and calling it quits before anyone really gets hurt.”
Dumbfounded, she looked at him.
“Don’t look at me like that, honey. I’m not unhappy knowing all this.”
“But, what do you have to look forward to if not meeting someone you can love and trust and spend the rest of your life with?”
Taking a hold of her elbow, he led her along the walkway and let out a little laugh. “Give yourself a few years and a few relationships, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.”
A denser crowd occupied the west side of the tower and Taryn wondered what the fuss was all about, until she caught sight of the golden rays of the fading sun that lit the sky.
“Sunset over Paris,” Errol said. “There’s nothing like it.”
Taryn tried to get a better view, but there were too many heads in front of her.
“Here.” Errol pulled her back to the elevator. “I have an idea.”
“But the sunset…”
“I know where we can have a perfect, undisturbed view of the sunset, all while enjoying a perfect glass of Pinot Noire.” He turned to the elevator operator. “ Le Jules Verne
“Let’s leave them alone,” Taryn suggested as she turned to go the other way.
“Newlyweds,” Errol said with an indignant huff. “The place is full of them. Or maybe they just got engaged. If the sucker only knew what he was getting himself into.”
Taryn shot him a nasty glare. “How romantic of you,” she spat.
They came upon a view of Pont Alexandre III and Montmartre in the distance, and Taryn was swept away by the romanticism of it all. How perfectly spectacular, she thought.
“I’m a pragmatic realist,” he argued as he gazed at the famed Chateau.
“You don’t believe in marriage?” She’d heard he was an elusive bachelor but had never really thought he was so dead set against marriage.
“Believe? What’s to believe? You get hitched because some woman wants a damned ring on her finger and all the fluff that goes with a wedding.” He looked pointedly at her. “You wannabe princesses all want that damned wedding. What’s the deal? If half the women out there put as much effort into actually pleasing the guy they claim to love enough to put through this farce as they do into the farce of the wedding itself, maybe the divorce rate wouldn’t be what it is.”
“Wow,” she droned. “What a sad take on something so beautiful.”
He leaned over the banister and looked straight down. “If it’s really that beautiful, why do more than half of them end with fighting and hating?”
She didn’t know what to say. Her view of marriage had always been a little magical, like most girls. She had her own dreams of walking into Kleinfeld’s and picking out the perfect Pnina Tornai dress. She’d envisioned the flowers, the venue, the food. The reception hall would be in white and silver, and she’d often flirted with the notion of a color theme for all the guests. Her bridesmaid would…
Oh my God. Errol was right, she thought with dismal frankness.
“You’re just now waking up to the realization, aren’t you?”
She blushed as she saw him looking intently at her.
“I saw it,” he said as he drew his finger in the air around her face. “That look in your eyes. You’ve had those fairytale dreams, too, haven’t you?”
Shrugging off his accusation, she turned to Paris. “When I was six, maybe, but since then I’ve grown up and I have a more adult view of marriage. Of course, I know there are a lot of divorces out there, but that still doesn’t mean a happy marriage can’t exist.”
“For six months, top. After that you just have a couple who tries to pretend they want to be together. Before long they’re barely able to stand being in the same room together. Then it’s just a matter of having an affair right then and there, thereby stretching the marriage out a little longer, or doing the honorable thing and calling it quits before anyone really gets hurt.”
Dumbfounded, she looked at him.
“Don’t look at me like that, honey. I’m not unhappy knowing all this.”
“But, what do you have to look forward to if not meeting someone you can love and trust and spend the rest of your life with?”
Taking a hold of her elbow, he led her along the walkway and let out a little laugh. “Give yourself a few years and a few relationships, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.”
A denser crowd occupied the west side of the tower and Taryn wondered what the fuss was all about, until she caught sight of the golden rays of the fading sun that lit the sky.
“Sunset over Paris,” Errol said. “There’s nothing like it.”
Taryn tried to get a better view, but there were too many heads in front of her.
“Here.” Errol pulled her back to the elevator. “I have an idea.”
“But the sunset…”
“I know where we can have a perfect, undisturbed view of the sunset, all while enjoying a perfect glass of Pinot Noire.” He turned to the elevator operator. “ Le Jules Verne
Similar Books
