I could barely breathe. My legs felt like they might give out beneath me. “Kim?” Sloane’s voice was soft. “Kim, talk to me. What did she say?” I blinked at her. “I... I can’t.” “Yes, you can,” she said as she grabbed my arm. “Tell me, please.” I swallowed, but my throat felt dry and tight. “She wants Alexander.” Sloane’s brows pulled together. “Okay, yeah, obviously. But what did she say?” I looked away, my lips trembling. “She told me to back off. That I need to stay away from him.” Sloane scoffed, releasing a breath of disbelief. “She actually said that to you?” “She doesn’t care about Adrian,” I whispered. “She doesn’t care what I do with him. She just—she wants Alexander. And she says I need to get out of the way.” Sloane’s expression changed. “What the hell, Kim? She can’t just—she can’t just decide that!” “But she knows about Adrian, Sloane. She knows everything,” I whispered, my stomach twisting. Sloane’s lips pressed into a thin line, her jaw tightening. “How are yo
The salty breeze whipped strands of my hair into my face as I stood by the edge of the beach, toes sinking into the cool sand. For a second, everything felt normal until Alexander’s laugh pulled me back into reality. “Come on, Kim!” he called, grinning, his eyes squinting against the sunlight. He held a beach ball under his arm, his shirt discarded, his toned chest catching the sun in the most distracting way. “You’re not gonna just stand there looking pretty, are you?” I tried to smile, even though my heart was still heavy from breakfast. “Maybe. Is that such a bad thing?” He splashed water towards me, his feet kicking up the clear water as he approached. Before I could react, he gently poked my side with the beach ball. “You’re not getting out of this that easily,” he teased, his lips curved into a crooked smile. I let out a shaky laugh, stepping back, but he caught my wrists before I could move too far. His fingers were warm, and his grip was gentle but firm. “Hey,” he whisper
I barely slept. My body curled in tighter under the covers as if shrinking into the bed would somehow make me disappear. But the guilt clung tightly, and fear pressed down on my chest. Both feelings were threatening to suffocate me. Sloane had spent the night with me in my room after I pleaded with her to stay. She climbed into bed with me without asking questions. I pulled myself out of bed quietly, trying not to wake her, and padded to the bathroom. I stood in front of the sink, staring at my reflection. My eyes were puffy, the dark circles beneath them deeper than usual. My lips were dry. My hair was a tangled mess, strands falling into my face like I’d fought a war in my sleep. In some ways, I had. I splashed cold water on my face, letting it drip down my neck, trying to shake off the anxiety curling in my stomach. I heard movements behind me, and that’s when Sloane’s reflection appeared in the mirror. Her hair was tousled from sleep, but her eyes were soft. She stretched, st
Her door opened an inch, then wider. Ramona stood there in silk pajamas, her black hair loose around her shoulders. She looked pale, her hazel eyes a little glassy, and her lips parted like she had just woken up. “Oh...” Her voice came out weak. “It’s you.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Alexander said I should check on you.” She gave me a small smile. “Really? That’s sweet of him.” I tried to smile back, but my lips barely moved. “Can I come in?” I asked, my voice gentle. She stepped aside, her bare feet silent against the floor. “Sure, come in.” I walked into her room. Her curtains were half-drawn, letting in thin stripes of light from the sea beyond. She perched herself on the edge of the bed, wrapping a cashmere blanket around her shoulders with a soft sigh. I stayed near the door, not wanting to get too comfortable. “You look better,” I said carefully. Ramona coughed. “Oh, I’m not. I’m really not.” My brows drew together. “Did the doctor say anything?” She sighe
I stayed locked in my room for hours, guilt crawling up my throat like ivy wrapping around my lungs. The thought of Alexander being beside me just yesterday, holding me, while I snuck out to meet someone else... it made my chest ache. I curled deeper into the blankets, my knees pressed to my chest, my heart pounding against my ribs like it wanted out of my body. I knew I had to fix this, I had to at least try. By the time the sun started to dip, I forced myself out of bed. My legs felt shaky, my throat tight, but I knew I couldn’t hide in this room forever. If I waited any longer, it would only get worse. Alexander wasn’t stupid, and Sloane already made it clear that he’d want answers. I padded toward the door and cracked it open, peeking into the hallway. The villa was quiet, and somewhere downstairs, I could hear the distant clinking of glassware, probably the staff setting up dinner. My hands trembled as I stepped out. By the time I reached his door, my stomach was in knots.
I opened my eyes to the new day. The sheets were still warm beside me, but Adrian was gone. I remained on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment. My heart was torn between the feeling of relief and disappointment. A part of me had hoped he’d be here, still half-asleep, maybe pulling me back into his arms the second I stirred. But the bed was empty. I sat up slowly, my skin still flushed from the events of yesterday. My eyes flicked to the couch. My sundress had been folded perfectly and placed neatly beside my bag and phone. I slipped out of the bed, padding toward the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wake myself up from whatever haze I’d let myself fall into last night. My reflection looked flushed, my lips a little swollen, my eyes heavy from too little sleep and too much temptation. I shouldn’t have stayed. But I had, and now, I needed to get back to the villa before someone started asking questions or before Alexander woke up and noticed I wasn’t the