Lahat ng Kabanata ng Tangled in Moonlight : Kabanata 211 - Kabanata 220

They held one another for what felt like an age, their hearts heavy with the pain of a loss they had yet to experience. In a soft whisper, Clayton asked, "Can we forget about this for now? I know what you need me to do, and I promise I'll do it, but for now, can we pretend it's just a regular Friday night? Can we pretend everything is okay and everything is normal?" Camden gave him a brokenhearted smile as she nodded, wiping unshed tears from her eyes once more as she hoped she would be able to push this from her mind like he had requested.   "Good. Then come with me," Clayton insisted, giving her a gentle push as he tried to urge her off of his lap so that he could stand. With a disappointed sigh she stood, stretching and yawning as the day caught up with her. With gentle fingers, Clayton grasped her hand and led her to her bedroom, directing her to the bathroom where he turned on the water in the shower. While he waited for the water to warm, he began the deli

The room was bathed in a soft, golden glow as the bedside lamp cast its warm light over them. Clayton's lips continued their exploration of Camden's back, tracing the curve of her left shoulder blade now. She giggled as his hair tickled her, but then released a small moan as his lips found a particularly sensitive spot near the base of her neck. "Cam?" Clayton's voice sounded uncertain. "Hmmm?" she mumbled, her eyes still closed, though she wore a contented grin on her face. "I..." Clayton hesitated, "I... I love you," he finally managed to say. Those weren't the words he had been looking for, but he had no choice but to settle on them, otherwise he'd be sitting here stuttering and stammering incoherently all night. Camden opened an eye and looked up at him curiously before smiling and rolling over to face him. "I love you too, baby," she whispered, propping herself up on an elbow as she watched him curiously. "Is everything okay?" she asked, concern beginning to take the shape of a

Camden tried to remind herself that this was a good thing. She didn't want to get married, so it was good that he hadn't proposed and put her on the spot like that. The whole institution of marriage was stupid and pointless, at least from what she could gauge. What was the value of a ring or a piece of paper when people could still cheat and fall out of love and take one another for granted anyway? She'd witnessed all of those things firsthand with her own parents' marriage, so she knew that rings and paper and the 'sanctity of marriage' was not some kind of iron armor against infidelity or any of the other challenges that life can throw at a relationship. Clayton was her mate and that was good enough. That was all the commitment she needed, she reminded herself. But then why did she feel so utterly disappointed now when she had thought he was going to propose but then didn't?She tried to push it out of her mind, instead focusing on what Clayton had said rather than what he hadn't. H

Clayton awoke to the feel of gentle fingers caressing his cheek and stroking his beard, a comforting sensation that drew a small smile to his lips before he opened his heavy eyes. "Hey," he rasped, his voice still thick with the remnants of sleep. "Hey," she replied, her voice crystal clear in the quiet of the morning. As Clayton blinked away the sleep, the morning light streaming through a crack in the curtains gently illuminated the room. He looked at Camden, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, evidence of a sleepless night. "You didn't sleep?" he asked, concern weaving through his tone as he tenderly cupped her cheek, gently running his thumb over her soft skin. "Not much," she downplayed it, her voice carrying a hint of forced cheerfulness. In truth, she hadn't slept at all. Not since he had woken up from his bad dream. She had spent the night awake, haunted by worries and what-ifs. "Shit, Cam. We've got such a big day ahead of us. You should have rested," he chided her gent

"I have to go," Camden whispered, the silence around them stretching like a tangible thing, heavy and laden with unspoken words. She gently broke away from their embrace, her eyes lingering on Matt's face, searching for some sign of understanding. Matt nodded slowly, his grip loosening reluctantly. "I promise everything is going to be okay. I promise," she assured him, her voice quivering with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. Camden tried to sound confident, but inside, she was a whirlwind of doubts and fears. "Things are going to be so much better than this," she continued, her hand reaching up to brush his hair back gently, a familiar gesture that felt both comforting and heart-wrenching. He looked so morose, so lost, and it pained her to see him like this. "And I'll be in your life as long as you want me in it, okay? I'll always be here for you," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion.Matt's eyes met hers, filled with a blend of sadness and resignation. He nodded, unable to