#Chapter 93: Magic words

We walked back to our room hand in hand, in silence. I was torn between absolutely cherishing the revitalizing warmth of Alexander’s touch and spiraling into anxiety over the strange situation that had just unfolded in the parking lot. “Are you alright, Fiona?” he asked timidly once the door was closed behind us. “Did Iris upset you?” “I’m fine,” I said. “That whole situation just caught me by surprise.” He frowned. “I know. I’m sorry. Come sit with me, let’s talk.” This was not how I had been envisioning our reunion. We sat beside each other at the table and Alexander held out his hand, asking for mine. I gave it to him and he brought it to his lips. I watched his eyes flutter closed as he planted a soft kiss on the back of my hand, his lips lingering there for several seconds. My body reacted, going warm all over. I waited for him to start talking first. “Iris isn’t well, Fiona,” he finally said. “I didn’t know that when I went looking for her. My original plan was