Novels by Karly

Chapter 21LinaI looked into his eyes and slowly nodded.“I won’t,” I whispered.The truth was… I never wanted to avoid him. I was just hurting. I thought everything that happened was his choice. I thought he had chosen someone else over me. Every unanswered question had slowly broken my heart.Now, hearing the truth from him, I finally understood why he looked so miserable that night.A soft smile appeared on his face.“Thank you,” he said quietly.Neither of us spoke after that.We simply looked at each other.His eyes stayed on mine as if he was trying to remember every part of my face. Slowly, his right hand moved to my cheek. His thumb gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear.The simple touch made my heart race.I lowered my eyes to his hand resting on my cheek before looking back at his face.My breathing slowly became uneven.His eyes traveled from my ear… to my eyes… then finally stopped on my lips.He stared at them for a long moment.Without saying a word, he slo

Chapter 20LinaWhen I came back from the bathroom, I stopped at the entrance of my living room.The small center table in front of the couch was already filled with food. Everything was arranged so neatly that for a second I forgot how heavy my heart had been these past weeks.Mick was sitting on the floor beside the table, his long legs folded comfortably. His sleeves were rolled up slightly and his hair looked a little messy now, probably from running his fingers through it while waiting for me.He looked up immediately the moment he heard my footsteps.My chest tightened.I gave him a small smile and slowly walked over to sit across from him.The moment my eyes landed on the food properly, my heart softened even more.Steak,Pasta,Spicy chicken wings.The strawberry juice I always liked.Even the shrimp rice from that restaurant downtown I only ordered once around him.My brows slowly furrowed in surprise.“How did you even remember all this?” I asked quietly, my eyes still moving

Chapter 19LinaWith Millie around, there was no way I could focus on work. Thank God Mr. Alexanda still hadn’t returned from his business trip. At least one problem was gone for now.Ever since that night at Mick’s birthday party, Millie hadn’t asked me anything. Not once. She didn’t ask why I ran out crying. She didn’t ask why I suddenly started avoiding Mick. It was strange because Millie was never the type to keep quiet when something was bothering her.Sometimes I caught her staring at me when she thought I wasn’t looking. Like she knew everything already but was waiting for me to speak first.Inside the small coffee shop near my office, soft music played quietly in the background. The smell of coffee filled the air. People chatted around us, cups clinking against plates, but none of it entered my head.My eyes stayed fixed on my iPad.I kept drawing necklace designs over and over, trying to keep my mind busy. If I stopped working even for one second, my thoughts would run straig

Chapter 18MickSeven days.Seven long, painful days since I last saw Lina.I kept counting. I didn't know why. Maybe because counting made it feel smaller. Like the number would stop hurting if I said it enough times.Seven days since I heard her voice.Seven days since I saw her face.Seven days of picking up my phone, staring at the screen, and putting it back down again. Hoping. Waiting. Telling myself…this time, her name will appear.But nothing came.No call. No message. No small sign that she was thinking about me too.I leaned back in my office chair and pressed both hands over my face. My eyes burned. Not from work. From too many nights lying awake, staring at a dark ceiling, letting my mind go back to that moment again and again.Her tears.Her voice, shaking like she was trying hard not to break in front of me.The way she looked at me, not with anger, but with something worse. Disappointment. Like I had taken something from her that she could never get back.And the worst

Chapter 17LinaThe alarm screamed.I groaned and turned over in bed, pulling the blanket over my face like a child who believed that if she could not see the morning, the morning could not see her either. My whole body felt like something heavy was sitting on top of it. My eyes burned. My head felt thick and slow.Slowly, I pushed myself up and sat at the edge of the bed.I stared at the floor for a moment.Another day.Another day of fighting my own heart.I dragged my feet to the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror, I almost did not recognise myself. The girl staring back at me looked worn out. Her cheeks were a little hollow. Her eyes had lost their shine. There was no light there anymore l, no warmth, no softness. Just tiredness.I used to glow. People used to tell me that. "Lina, you're always so bright."That brightness was gone now.Weeks had passed since that night. The night my heart cracked open in front of everyone. The night I smiled on the outside while something insid

Chapter 16MickStanding on that stage felt like standing in the wrong place.Like someone had put me in a room where everything was arranged perfectly,the lights, the smiles, the clapping, but I had walked in wearing the wrong face.People were happy.I was not.I stood there with my hands at my sides, looking out at the crowd below. Everywhere I looked, there were faces I recognized. People from my father's world. Business men. Guests with expensive watches and polished shoes. All of them smiling, raising their glasses, celebrating something I wanted no part of.My chest felt tight.I let my eyes move across the room slowly. Looking. Searching,though I told myself I wasn't.And then I found her.Lina.She was standing near the back. Not trying to be seen. Not pushing forward. Just standing there quietly in a simple dress, nothing sexy,nothing that was meant to call attention and yet my eyes went straight to her like they always did. Like they had no choice.Her hair fell softly around h