Fourteen. Zero Nine. Twenty-Four

SELENE

I lied to him.

And the scariest part wasn't that I did, it was how easily the words slipped past my lips. How naturally they settled between us. Even as I looked into his eyes, even as my conscience screamed at me, I didn't take them back.

Sebastian smiled, then pulled me into a hug, his arms wrapping around my waist as though they belonged there.

"Thank you, Selene." He murmured.

His warmth seeped into me, and guilt followed right behind it. I told myself the truth would only confuse him, that it would overwhelm him in his fragile state. That I was protecting him.

But who was I really fooling?

This wasn't for him.

It was for me.

I tightened my fingers against the back of his shirt, closing my eyes. Just for today. Just this one day, I wanted to pretend. I wanted to have him, to feel what it was like to be held without being pushed away.

Tomorrow, I promised myself, I would tell him the truth.

I slowly eased out of his arms, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "You should take some rest." I said gently.

"But I just woke up." Sebastian protested, frowning slightly as I guided him toward the bed.

"Exactly." I replied, pressing him down until he lay back against the pillows. "The doctor said you need as much rest as possible."

He sighed but didn't resist as I adjusted the sheets around him.

When I turned toward the window, my chest tightened. Outside, a small crowd had already gathered. Journalists clustered together with their cameras poised, waiting. Even with all our efforts to keep the accident quiet, the news had still found its way out. It always did when it came to Sebastian Kingsley.

I drew a quiet breath and pulled the curtains shut, shutting out the flashing lenses and prying eyes.

"Can you pass me my phone?" He asked suddenly.

I paused. I was standing between him and the bedside cabinet where his phone rested. I reached for the phone and held it out to him, but the moment his fingers brushed against it, I suddenly remembered...

The messages!

Those angry words I had sent before I knew about the accident. If he saw them now... everything would unravel.

My breath hitched.

As he tried to take the phone from my hand, my grip tightened instinctively, refusing to let go. The phone trembled between us for a second before I pulled it back.

Sebastian frowned, confusion flickering across his face. "Selene?"

I didn't answer. I withdrew the phone completely and took a step back, clutching it to my chest as if it could protect me from the truth it carried.

"Wow." Sebastian snorted, leaning back against the bedrest with an exaggerated groan. "I survive an accident... and still can't get my own phone."

I fumbled for an excuse, holding the device tightly behind me. "Doctor's orders."

He tilted his head, playfully narrowing his eyes. "The doctor said I can't text?"

I swallowed hard. "He... implied it."

Sebastian's brow quirked, and suddenly he whirled, folding his arms like a general surveying a battlefield. "Or... maybe you implied it."

I rolled my eyes, though my cheeks betrayed me with a faint blush. "Either way, you're not allowed to touch it."

He smacked his lips as though tasting a joke. "Hmm... is there something on here I'm not supposed to see?"

My stomach flipped, betraying me, and my voice followed. "Ab... absolutely not." I stammered.

Sebastian snorted, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Oh, there's definitely something in there. What could it be?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully, as if trying to solve the world's greatest mystery.

There was no way he could guess it, right?

He scanned me from head to toe, a mischievous glint in his gaze. "Could it be...," he drawled slowly, "nude?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. Seriously? My heart had been in overdrive for nothing but his mind was stuck on this?

"Well, we’re married and in love," he added with a sly grin, "so seeing each other nude is nothing. Just one little sneak peek, huh?"

Jesus. My instincts kicked in. I yanked a pillow off the couch and hurled it at him. "Why on earth would I send my nude to you?"

He caught it effortlessly, chuckling as his grin widened. "Oh... that's cute." he teased, holding it like a trophy.

I groaned, realizing that keeping him from the phone was going to be far more exhausting than I ever imagined.

Sebastian straightened, pushing himself off the bed with an easy grace that made my stomach twist. "Alright." He said, a teasing lilt in his voice. "Enough games. Give me my phone and show me what’s on it."

I took a small step back, clutching the device like it was a lifeline. "I... um..." I stammered, searching for an excuse, and finally settled on the first thing that came to mind. "Oh my god! What's behind you?" I exclaimed, pointing wildly over his shoulder.

He didn't flinch. "You think I'll fall for that?"

"I'm serious! There's something there—look!" I insisted, my voice trembling just enough to sell it.

"If I find out you're lying..." His eyes narrowed as he finally turned to glance behind him. That was my cue. I bolted. My legs carried me to the door in one panicked dash, and I slid it open just as he spun back around.

"I knew you were lying!" He called, spotting me at the door. "Come back here!"

A wicked grin spread across my face. As he strode toward the door, I slammed it shut and sprinted down the hall to the women's bathroom.

"Selene!" I heard him shout after me. I didn't look back, only exhaled sharply and laughed as I locked the door behind me.

For a moment, I let myself breathe. The chase was over, for now.

I double-tapped the screen and swiped up, but his phone remained stubbornly locked. I hadn't even thought this far ahead.

What could his password be? I tried his birthday, but no luck.

"What on earth is his password?" I muttered to myself. Then an idea struck. I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialed his secretary's number. It rang once, twice, and was picked up immediately.

"Hello?" Vincent's calm voice answered.

"Tell me Sebastian's phone password." I blurted the moment he picked up.

There was a pause on the other end. "Pardon?" He asked, clearly taken aback.

"His phone! What’s the password?" I urged. "Sebastian doesn't remember."

"But I told him earlier." Vincent replied.

"Earlier?" I frowned.

"Before I left the ward." He clarified. "He asked for his phone. I gave him the password, but... he didn't seem to retain it.”

"Huh?" I blinked. "He forgot?" I added, muttering as if Sebastian could hear me. "How can you be so forgetful?"

"His password is 140924." Vincent said patiently.

"Hold on." I swiped Sebastian's phone and entered the numbers. The screen unlocked instantly. "Thank you." I cut the call before he could say anything else.

I stared at the glowing screen, the numbers echoing in my head.

140924

I repeated them slowly, and then my breath caught.

Fourteen. Zero nine. Twenty-four.

My eyes widened as the realization struck me all at once. It wasn't just a random set of numbers. It was a date.

14/09/24

Our wedding day.

My fingers tightened around the phone as my heart began to pound. Of all the dates he could have chosen, he decided to use the one day he had made me believe was a mistake.