The decision

Monday arrived with the kind of heavy quiet that follows a storm that hasn’t fully broken yet.I woke early, body still marked from the night before…Derek’s fingerprints faint on my hips, the lingering ache between my thighs a private reminder of everything I couldn’t seem to walk away from. The house was still asleep. Mom’s door remained closed. Down the hall, Derek’s side of the bed would be empty already; he always left for the office before sunrise on weekdays.I sat on the edge of my mattress for a long time, phone in hand, staring at the two threads of messages that had come to define my double life.Ryan’s latest sat unanswered from the night before: *Hope you slept well. I had a really good time Saturday. Can’t stop thinking about that kiss.*Derek’s was shorter and far more certain: *We need to talk today, alone. After your last class.*I deleted both notifications without replying and forced myself into the shower. The hot water did nothing to wash away the guilt. Every

Night plans

The drive home from Derek’s office felt longer than usual.I sat in the passenger seat of his car, skirt still slightly wrinkled, the evidence of what we had done only an hour earlier still warm and sticky between my thighs. Derek drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my knee in a quiet claim. Neither of us spoke much. The weight of the decision I had made on that campus bench sat between us like a third passenger.I had ended it with Ryan.The words still didn’t feel real. Every time I replayed the conversation…my chest tightened. He had been kind. He had deserved better than a half-truth and a sudden goodbye. Yet the moment Derek had pulled me into his lap and told me I was his now, the guilt had been drowned beneath something stronger and far more dangerous.We pulled into the driveway just as Mom’s car turned the corner. Derek’s hand left my knee instantly. By the time she stepped out of her vehicle we were already walking toward the front door like two people

the shadow from the past

The morning sun poured through the kitchen windows, painting the white marble countertops in soft gold. My thighs pressed together under the table, not from desire this time, but from the constant ache of guilt that never quite left my body.Mom was pouring coffee, her elegant silk robe loose at the neck. She looked refreshed from her spa day yesterday, hair in a loose ponytail, smiling that soft, trusting smile she always gave me like I was still her little girl.“Cassandra, honey, come sit closer,” she said, sliding a plate of fresh berries and yogurt toward me. “I wanted to talk to you before the day gets too hectic.”I slid into the chair across from her, forcing a polite smile even though my stomach was twisting. Derek was already there, reading the paper with his usual calm control, but I could feel his eyes flicking toward me every few seconds — dark, hungry, possessive. “Mom, what’s up?” I asked, poking at my fruit.She set her coffee down and leaned forward, her voice wa

The new shadow

The front door had barely clicked shut behind Elena before Mom turned to me with that bright, hopeful smile of hers. “Isn’t this wonderful, Cassandra? A proper little routine again. Elena can handle the mornings while I’m in the office, and you won’t have to worry about anything. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few calls to make before lunch. I’ll see you both at dinner.”She kissed my cheek, gave Derek a quick hug, and disappeared toward her study, heels clicking softly on the marble. The house felt instantly different…lighter, but somehow heavier too. The air still carried the faint trace of Elena’s perfume, something soft and floral that made the whole space feel new and alive in a way that had never existed before.I stood there at the table, fork still in my hand, staring at the untouched yogurt. Derek didn’t move at first. He just sat there, one arm draped casually over the back of his chair, reading the paper like nothing had happened. But I could feel his eyes on me anywa

Alone

The drive to campus felt too long, the seat too warm under me. I kept my eyes on the road, hands gripping the wheel like it was the only thing holding me together. That morning, Derek didn't join us for breakfast. I didn't even bother to ask but deep inside me I was worried.When I finally stood up, I told her I needed to pick up something from my room. She hugged me again, promised to be home for dinner, and waved me off. My heart was still racing the whole way back to the dorms, but I didn’t see him. .My room was quiet when I unlocked the door, still carrying the faint scent of his cologne from last night. I dropped my bag, sat on the edge of the bed, and stared at the wall for a long time. The guilt was louder here, in the quiet. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Ryan’s disappointed face, Sophie’s worried eyes, and the way Derek had looked at me in the master bedroom like I was the only thing that mattered. I hadn’t chosen him in the way I thought I had. I’d chosen the addictio

All Chapters of His Little Princess : Chapter 31 - Chapter 35

The decision

Night plans

the shadow from the past

The new shadow

Alone