บททั้งหมดของ In the Arms of the Enemy’s Brother : บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

Chloe’s POV The gym doors slid open behind me, releasing a rush of cold air against my damp skin. My body felt worked,legs sore, arms tight, lungs still catching up, but my mind was nowhere near calm. Sweat clung to my back, my sports bra damp, my heartbeat too fast for someone who was supposed to feel relaxed after a workout. My phone was already in my hand. I hadn’t even unlocked it yet, but I already knew. Nothing.No sign that Liam had thought about me at all. I unlocked the screen anyway, just to be sure. My thumb hovered for a moment, then moved to his contact like it always did. I pressed call. It rang twice before going straight to voicemail. I didn’t hang up right away. I listened to the ringing fade into that cold automated voice, like maybe if I waited long enough, he would suddenly pick up. Like maybe he’d say my name the way he used to, low and lazy, like he had all the time in the world for me. But the line went dead. I pulled the phone away from my ear and star

Serena’s POV I woke slowly, the way you do when sleep doesn’t end all at once but loosens its grip little by little. For a brief, disoriented moment, I forgot where I was. Then memory settled back into place gentle, unhurried. And then I felt it. The weight near my legs. I opened my eyes. The living room came into focus: muted morning light slipping through the curtains, the television long turned off, the kind of quiet that exists only before the world fully wakes. And then I saw Roman. He sat on the floor beside the sofa, his back resting against it, his head close to where I’d been sleeping. One arm lay loosely across his lap, the other bent at the elbow, fingers relaxed, as if he’d simply paused, and sleep had claimed him right there. He was asleep. Not the guarded, half-alert sleep I’d seen before, ready to wake at the slightest sound. but real sleep. His face was softer like this. Less guarded. Less closed off. The sharp edge people always seemed to notice wasn’t there

Serena’s POV The days blurred together after Roman left. At the beginning, I tried to keep track of the days. I told myself it helped. It didn’t. Somewhere between the first week and the fourth, the numbers stopped meaning anything. Time stretched and folded in on itself, and my days began to look exactly the same. The apartment felt too quiet, like it was holding its breath. I dragged myself out of bed, my feet padding softly on the hardwood floor. The first thing I did was head to the bathroom. The shower became my ritual, the hot water cascading over my shoulders, washing away the sleep but not the emptiness. I stood there longer than needed, letting the steam fill the room, my hands running through my wet hair as I stared at the tiled wall. After drying off, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked to the kitchen. The fridge hummed softly as I pulled it open. Simple meals filled my days, scrambled eggs with toast one morning, a sandwich the next. I ate at the counter, the fork s

Serena pov I blinked my eyes open to the soft light filtering through the curtains. The clock on my nightstand read 6:45 a.m., the same as every other day, even though it was Saturday. Almost without thinking, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. The floor felt cool under my feet as I padded toward the kitchen. Roman wasn’t out yet, which meant he was probably still asleep. I went into the kitchen and pulled out the ingredients for our usual everyday breakfast. I moved quickly, keeping the noise low, and soon the food was ready. Even after serving it, Roman still hadn’t come out. I sat on the kitchen counter and ate my portion quietly. Afterward, I rinsed the dishes, wiped the counter, and wandered back to my room. The bed looked inviting, the sheets still rumpled from sleep. I dropped onto it, reaching for my phone from the charger. My thumb moved easily across the screen as I scrolled through social media, filled with friends’ weekend plans, memes that made me smile, rando

Serena’s pov I never thought I’d find comfort in the rhythm of someone else’s life, but with Roman, it felt easy. Our days fit together now. The awkward silences were gone, and so was that careful distance we used to keep. When he came home from work, he’d come straight to my room if I wasn’t in the living room. His presence always pulled me out of whatever book or show I was lost in. We talked about nothing and everything. Sometimes his hand would brush mine as he sat on the edge of my bed, or he’d pull me into a quick hug that stayed a second too long. We started going out more. Movies. Grocery runs. I followed him to the gym sometimes, just sitting there and watching him do his thing. We went to more games too, ever since the last one. It felt like he wanted to take me everywhere with him. And honestly, I didn’t mind. After the wedding was called off and I ran to his house, all I’d really been doing was staying at home, wasting away. I was getting tired of it. I was used to bu