Mag-log in[Alma]"You sprint out on me in the middle of a conversation, as if you suddenly hate being in my presence."Zevyn said it carefully, almost as though he was recounting a list of observations he'd been making over the past few days. There was no uncertainty in his voice. He wasn't asking because he suspected something anymore. He had noticed the pattern, remembered every little incident, and had apparently been waiting for an explanation.My hand curled tighter at my side.Shit.I could feel my cheeks warming again, and I desperately wished I could find a way to disappear behind the kitchen counter. Anything would have been better than standing there with him looking directly at me, waiting for an answer I couldn't possibly give."I..."The word barely made it past my lips before dying in my throat.I stared at him, my mouth still slightly open, but nothing else came out.Because what exactly was I supposed to say?That I'd been avoiding him because I was beginning to fall in love wit
[Alma]"Alma."My name echoed from somewhere behind me, and my entire body went still.The spoon in my hand stopped moving, suspended in the middle of the hot chocolate I had been trying to stir. I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.Then I felt him.The unmistakable presence of the man beside me, close enough that I could catch the familiar scent of his cologne as it slowly filled my senses. My fingers tightened around the spoon, and my throat instantly bobbed as I swallowed.Oh, God.I took a deep breath, trying to gather enough courage to turn and face him. It wasn't supposed to be difficult. All I had to do was turn around, look at him, and ask if everything was okay. That was it. A perfectly normal thing to do. Something I'd done countless times before without giving it a second thought.Except now, somehow, it felt like the hardest thing in the world.I wanted to turn. I really did. But the thought of having his eyes meet mine made my stomach twist, and I found m
[Alma] My brows pulled together.That absolutely came out of nowhere.A small chuckle escaped me as I shook my head."Elara, you worry too much. It's a week from now, just as you said, which means I'll be much better and stronger by then.""I know, but you don't have to stress yourself or agree to the camping. You still need time to recover."I glanced down at my phone, adjusting my grip around it. I could practically picture the expression on her face, the slight crease between her brows and the way she would probably be shaking her head as she spoke. Elara had always been like this. Once she decided she was worried about something, getting her to let it go was almost impossible."Elara, you worry too much." I shook my head again, a smile tugging at my lips. "It's Sienna we're talking about here. Our best friend. If camping is what she wants, then the least we can do is make it happen.""Alma, listen, you have to..."I cut her off before she could finish."Elara, I'm perfectly okay.
[Alma]"What are you talking about?" Elara's worried voice immediately echoed from the other end.I swallowed, trying to force down the invisible lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. My eyes remained fixed on the kitchen entrance, and I found myself glancing towards it again, just to make sure Zevyn hadn't decided to come looking for me."Alma," Elara called again, her voice a little louder this time.I bit down on my lower lip, pressing my teeth against it until I felt a sharp sting. I needed to say it. I needed to get the words out of my chest because keeping them bottled up was beginning to make me feel even more ridiculous."I think my mind is getting so messed up," I confessed, my lips pressing into a thin line. "I don't know what's wrong with me.""Alma, you're still not saying anything." Elara's voice turned firm. "What exactly is going on?"I closed my eyes briefly, drawing in a breath through my nose."It's Zevyn."The moment I said his name, my stomach tightened again
[Alma]"Princess."Zevyn's voice rang out from the other side of the door, and there it was again.That flutter.The same ridiculous flutter I'd just spent the last several minutes trying to convince myself meant absolutely nothing. My stomach gave another little flip, and I clenched my hand beside me, drawing in a deep breath as though I could somehow force my body to behave."Are you there, baby? Is everything alright?"Oh, God.My name was Alma. Alma, for heaven's sake. Why couldn't he just call me by my name? Why did he have to keep using those other names, especially when he had no idea what they were doing to me?'This same name wasn't bothering you some time ago. Isn't that enough reason to know you've fallen hard for him?' my inner voice taunted.I squeezed my eyes shut. Not now.I pushed the thought aside, reached for a towel and carefully dried my damp face. I dabbed around my cheeks, hoping the cold water had at least taken some of the redness away. Then I examined myself
[Alma]"Okay, Alma. Take a break... Take a fucking break."I sucked in a sharp breath, staring at my reflection in the mirror.My entire face was red. Not just my cheeks, but right down to my neck. I looked like I'd spent the last ten minutes standing too close to a fire, and the worst part was that I couldn't even blame the temperature.It had been fifteen freaking minutes.Fifteen minutes of splashing cold water over my face, pressing my damp palms against my cheeks and repeatedly telling myself to calm the hell down. Yet, no matter how much water I used or how many times I tried to take a deep breath, the heat refused to leave. My cheeks were still burning, my stomach was still doing ridiculous little flips, and those stupid butterflies wouldn't stay still for even a second."Gawd, I've lost it," I growled.I leaned closer to the mirror, examining my face as though I expected the redness to disappear if I stared at it long enough. It didn't. I let out a frustrated breath and straig
[Alma]I bit down hard on my lips as I stared back at my reflection, before shifting my gaze to the closed door. I gulped, repeating the lies I was going to tell Grandma, if this had to do with where I was or why I had a different outfit on.I took another deep breath, smoothing my hand over my dr
[Zevyn]I don’t lose control. But something about this green-eyed woman...The way she looked at me— like she already knew exactly what I was capable of—I let her stand there.Let her think. Let her try to piece it together—why she was here, what I really wanted, what she’d just broken.She was s
[Alma] I gulped down, my eyes fixed on the closed door as if Mason would walk back in if I looked hard enough Walk back in and take back those words. "Tessy needs me." "Nothing is more important than making sure she's safe." "You’ve been terribly out of shape." The words echoed in my he
[Alma]I stood by the window longer than I should have, my fingers lightly gripping the edge of the curtain as my gaze drifted once again toward the dining table behind me.Everything was setToday wasn’t just our anniversary. It was also my birthday.My eyes lingered on the table, taking in every







