Chapter 6
Six days before the mating ceremony, that girl posted again: (I want to give him my first time. That way, I won’t have any regrets.]
Attached was a photo of a hotel keycard.
Felix was in the kitchen making lunch when his phone buzzed. I saw the shift in his expression as he checked the screen.
His eyes flicked toward me.
I was sitting in the living room, smiling at him like I didn’t know a thing.
He turned off the stove, grabbed his phone, and stepped out onto the balcony.
When he came back, he was already undoing his apron.
“Something came up at work,” he said casually. “Lunch is ready–go ahead and eat. I’ll be back soon.”
1 gave him a little smile. “You’re not sneaking off for a date, are you?”
His gaze faltered–just for a second–then he laughed, reached over, and pinched my cheek.
“Don’t be ridiculous, It’s really just work.”
Liar.
I grabbed his sleeve before he could turn away. “I’m not feeling well. Can you stay?”
He frowned. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”
His palm pressed gently to my forehead, checking for a fever.
I pointed to the center of my chest. “Here. Can you fix that?”
He chuckled and kissed my forehead. “You little drama queen. Don’t be silly. I’ll be back early tonight,/okay?” And just like that, he left.
I hadn’t let him touch me in days of course he was getting antsy.
Once he was gone, I followed.
He was usually so cautious. But today? He parked crooked. Didn’t even lock the car.
He was in such a rush, he never noticed me.
I stayed there for hours, long past midnight–he never came out.
When he finally got home, I pretended to be asleep.
I heard the shower running. The steady rush of water made something in my chest tighten.
I couldn’t breathe right.
There was a weight sitting on my lungs, heavy and hot, and it wouldn’t budge
The bed dipped beside me.
Felix slid in behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Come close,” he whispered. “I want to hold you.”
He kissed my hair like nothing had happened, like he hadn’t spent the entire night with someone else, like he didn’t still reck of her perfume.
I fell bile rising in my throat.
Chapter 6
My hands curled into the sheets. I squeezed hard, willing myself to stay calm.
Then I turned and sank my teeth into his shoulder.
Hard.
He gasped. “Babe–what are you doing?”
I didn’t stop until I tasted blood.
He sat up, startled, staring at me with wide eyes.
His voice dropped, softer this time. “What’s going on with you?”
“You’ve been off lately. I can feel it. I just don’t know why.”
“Talk to me, okay? Please?”
I stared at his face–the one I used to love.
I took a breath and forced myself to sound normal “It’s nothing. Just pre–wedding nerves.”
He pulled me close again, voice low in my ear. “I’ll be right here. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it. Watching you hurt… It kills me.” I said nothing.
He kept going “Do you ever wonder what life’ll be like after the ceremony?”
“I don’t know.
Because there won’t be an after.
He chuckled quietly. “I used to dream about it all the time.”
Right. When you still thought it meant something
“I picture
you in the kitchen, making breakfast in the sunlight. You’d look beautiful like that.”
“I picture us having two kids–one with your eyes, one with mine. They’d be perfect.”
“I picture the ordinary days, the quiet moments. Just… us.”
He brushed my hair back gently.
“You asked me once if I’d ever run. I wouldn’t. I won’t. I want this. I want you. I chased you, remember?” Maybe he really believed that.
But Felix wasn’t just lying to me anymore. He was lying to himself.
