The restaurant Aiden chose was nothing like the noisy pubs Selene remembered from her youth, neither was it like those she and her ex would go to, just to end up in an heated argument. This time, the air was different. It was tucked away in the quiet part of town, lit with luminescent lights that set a romantic vibe, passing along just right with the afternoon. The place smelt faintly of rosemary and old wood– pleasant, and nothing too extra.The low mutter of people chatting in the background was quite far, wrapping the place in a cocoon of intimacy.' Leave it to a werewolf infested town to know so much about romance.' Selene thought to herself as she looked around, feeling ecstatic. For a woman who hadn’t been courted the 'right way' in years, Selene felt disarmed just sitting in there.It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't any less an ideal choice of a place for a date. To put it simply, Selene was impressed.The thought of Kyle's jealous fit earlier crossed h
Selene stood in front of the mirror longer than she should have, tilting her head this way and that, brushing down the silk dress Clara had insisted she wear. It was a deep red dress, low enough at the neckline to make her second-guess herself, but not scandalous. Her reflection didn’t look like a woman who had survived heartbreak. It looked like someone trying to pretend she was brand new.“You deserve this,” She whispered to the glass. “A fresh start with Aiden. He is kind. He isn’t Kyle.” She told herself, yet the name tasted bitter on her tongue. No matter how hard she tried to scrub it from her mind, the shadow of Kyle lingered. His face, his touch, his voice, his cruel indifference that still managed to burn hotter than Aiden’s sweet words ever could. Selene hated that her heart responded even to his silence.Why? Because he'd played her all too well. And she couldn't get him out of her mind now. She was stuck. Regardless, Selene shook the thought out of h
The door had barely clicked shut behind Aiden when Clara’s voice came shrieking from upstairs like a siren of chaos."Did I just hear him ask you out on a date?!"Selene groaned, dragging her hand down her face. She turned slowly to find Clara already at the top of the stairs, leaning dramatically over the railing like she was watching a soap opera play out in real life."Clara, please," Selene warned, shutting the door firmly and locking it for good measure.Clara gasped theatrically. "You like him! Oh my goddess, this is huge. Ah! I never knew this town still had the hots like it did back in the day." " Ah! I wish you'd Just go back to wherever you came from," Selene sighed dryly, walking toward the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.Clara followed her like a curious cat, barefoot and nosy. "You have a blush. You can't even lie now, that man made you blush. Is this it, is this why you moved back to Erthswall?""..." Selene quietly drank her water, avoiding Cla
Selene glanced at the natural femme fatale who'd just walked in. She wore a jean jacket over a crop top and matching pants. Her heels complimenting her long straight legs, while a pair of bangles adorned her wrists. If Selene was pretty then Clara was just hot. She had her burnt blonde hair flaxen behind her delicately squared shoulders. Selene couldn't help but roll her eyes at her older sister's extravagant appearance. She's always been like this. Clara's voice rang out like a trumpet blast wrapped in a velvet ribbon. "Oh my, is that why you moved all the way back home, dear sister?" Selene didn’t flinch. She just moved her gaze back and kept her hand firmly around her coffee mug. She calmly took a sip, as though Clara’s dramatic arrival had been announced hours ago. "Hello to you too, Clara. Relax on the heavy make-up, it won't hide that you're getting old." she said finally, eyes flickering upward. Clara laughed as she strode in,
Selene had the kitchen alive as she hurriedly put together Clara's favorite-- Homemade steak stir-fry meals.Her frivolous sister was arriving in town today.She had called just yesterday, announcing in a sugary voice on the phone that she'd be touching down by today. Selene had nodded through it, offered polite sounds, and hung up before she said something regretful. But now the moment had arrived.As Selene stir-fried the tender meat with fresh veggies that caused a mouth-watering aroma to simmer all through and around, she thought about the past few days and how crazy it had all been. Clara wouldn't even be visiting her here if she hadn't made the decision to move back here. In the end, it was all for naught. Kyle wouldn't see her efforts. ' Not that he was worth it anyway...' Selene thought to herself, almost scoffing as she lied to herself.But quite surprisingly, it had been a few days since Selene had spoken to Kyle. In truth, she hadn’t even tried. And
When Selene reached home, her mood was simmering. Melinda’s snide comments didn’t surprise her, but combined with Jenna’s arrival, they stung. ' Is every woman in this town trying to get under my skin?' And then there was Kyle. The cold, frustrating, impossible Kyle who acted as if none of this affected him. As if she didn’t affect him. By late afternoon, Selene found herself pacing. Should I just… talk to him? She needed to confront him about Jenna. Or at least about that smug look he wore when Jenna was around. She couldn't just let him keep playing her around like this. Before she could overthink it, she called him. However, it rang but he didn't pick up. Angry, Selene dialed it again.This time, the line clicked after a few rings.“Selene,” Kyle's deep voice drawled, slow and rich. “Missing me already?”Her pulse jumped. “Just wanted to know if you’re home.”A low chuckle rumbled through the phone. “You really can’t go a day without hearing my voice, can you?” She rolled he