Chloe It was warm, the kind of warmth that made you feel safe, like nothing in the world could hurt you. A feeling I hadn’t known in years. I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the soft light. I wasn’t at home. The air smelled faintly of cedar. My gaze lifted to see Alexander. He was leaning over me, his expression unreadable as he gently pulled the blanket higher over my shoulder. I reached for his hand without thinking, my fingers curling around his. His green eyes flicked down to where our fingers met, then up to mine. His brow rose, just a little. “Did I wake you? You should go back to slee—” “Stay,” I whispered, tugging him down. He paused, caught off guard, our faces now only inches apart. He stared down at me. My own chest rose and fell in short, shallow breaths. The air between us felt charged. “You’re tired,” he said, voice low, and strained. I shook my head slowly. “I’m not tired. I want you.” His jaw flexed, and I watched as he clenched his fist at his side l
Alexander She walked beside me quietly, her steps slow. The cotton candy in her hand was shrinking bite by bite, though she barely seemed aware of what she was eating. Her eyes were lowered, her lips lightly pressed together. Something was bothering her. And for the life of me, I hated not knowing what it was. She was just about to step forward again when her foot caught on the edge of a stone. I didn’t even think, my hand reached out instinctively, catching her waist before she hit the ground. Her eyes met mine, wide and startled. "Are you okay?" I asked, brushing a few strands of her hair behind her ear. She smiled and nodded. “Yas, thank you.” She moved to turn away, but I didn’t let go of her hand. I held it, bringing her back toward me. Our space narrowed. I leaned down to look at her. Her cheeks flushed. “What’s wrong?” I asked, folding my arms. “You’ve been quiet for a while now.” She blinked. “W-what do you mean? Nothing’s wrong.” “Did I offend you?” I added, archi
Chloe People’s mouths were hanging open. Some gasped. Others just stared like they couldn’t believe what they were seeing, and honestly, they were just saying what I was thinking. Because I stood there, eyes wide, watching the breathtaking man in front of me shoot every single balloon without missing once. It might have looked easy, but the way the cart owner had arranged the setup, even hitting one was supposed to be difficult. My jaw was halfway to the ground. “Just… how talented is this man?” I whispered. Around us, the crowd cheered, people clapping. I heard someone murmur, “He’s like a walking movie scene…” Another added, “That woman beside him is lucky.” I felt a flutter in my chest. Was I? The only person who didn’t look thrilled was the poor old cart owner, staring at his popped balloons. I didn’t blame him, I was pretty sure Alexander had just won every teddy bear at his stand. Alexander dropped the plastic gun like it was nothing special and turned to me, eyes findi
Chloe My woman. My woman. My woman. The words kept echoing in my head like a broken record on repeat, vibrating through my skull and flushing every inch of my skin with heat. His woman? He sounded so possessive and protective, not like the kind of obsession Logan used to make me feel. This was different. It felt real, like he actually cared, not just wanted to own me. My face burned. My heart thumped so hard I could feel it pounding in my ears. Was that what I was now? I didn’t even have time to process it because the man on the ground wheezed and stumbled back, clutching his stomach. “T-This is assault!” he croaked, fear coating every word. “He assaulted me!” His eyes flicked around the crowd wildly, landing on every bystander. “This man hit me!” he screamed. “You all saw it! Call the police!” My eyes snapped to Alexander. Police? No. No, no, no. I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn't let that happen. I stepped forward without thinking, placing myself in front of Ale
Chloe I heard them before I even realized they were talking about us. “Oh my god, look at them!” “Are they celebrities? They have to be.” “They’re giving off main character energy.” “Right? That man, he’s so hot and tall. God, I want a man like that.” “She’s lucky.” “No, he’s lucky. Look at her, she's absolutely stunning.” I blinked, glancing around to see who they were whispering about. I didn’t see anyone else close enough. A hand gently pressed on my shoulder, pulling me closer just before a man nearly bumped into me. “Sorry!” the man muttered, walking off. Someone nearby gasped. “Omg. Look at him protecting his woman. His whole attention is on her.” My eyes widened. Wait. Us? They were talking about us? I glanced up at Alexander, whose hand was still on my shoulder. He didn’t seem bothered, or maybe just used to it. But I noticed a flicker of something in his expression. Annoyance? Even in a crowd this large, he stood out. Everything about him was unmissable. Tha
Logan I stared at the phone in my hand. The screen glowed with the same thing I’d been seeing all day. There was no reply. I clenched the device so hard my knuckles turned white. My thumb flicked down the screen again, rows of unanswered calls, read messages with no replies. I called once more. It went straight to voicemail. Switched off? She turned off her phone! The groan that left me was low, but it still echoed across the dining room. "Is your wife not picking up?" A deep voice asked. I looked up slowly. My father sat across from me at the head of the long mahogany table, his eyes cold and unreadable beneath his silver-streaked hair. The clink of his knife hitting the edge of his plate was the only sound he made as he cut his steak. “No. She hasn’t returned my calls. I'm sorry. She went to her father’s house, and I assumed she’d be back by now. She should have been here to welcome you.” He paused, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. “It’s fine, your wife also ha