193: The Fear in His Eyes 193: The Fear in His Eyes The soft murmur of the bathwater filling the tub echoed faintly from the bathroom, casting a delicate warmth into the silent room.
The silence felt heavier now, wrapping around Raelynn’s chest as if sothing unseen lingered between them.
Elion crouched before her, his large hands gently holding hers.
His face was a mixture of calmness and restraint, but the distance in his eyes unsettled her.
He was here, right in front of her, yet sohow he felt miles away.
Raelynn swallowed hard, breaking the silence.
“Why…
why don’t you want to et Axel anymore?” Elion’s fingers twitched slightly at the question.
His eyes flicked toward her, guarded, before lowering to their joined hands.
A beat passed before he answered, his voice low and steady.
“I have a bad feeling about him.” Raelynn’s heart clenched at his words.
Her lips parted slightly, caught between surprise and disbelief.
“A bad feeling?
But…
Axel’s been kind to .
He helped when I was alone.
He didn’t even ask for anything in return.” Elion’s jaw tightened.
His thumbs brushed over the back of her hands, but there was a tension in his touch—like he was holding back sothing dark.
“What if it’s just an act?” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Raelynn’s brows furrowed.
Her heart ached at how quickly Elion dismissed the kindness Axel had shown her.
It felt unfair…
as if he was judging Axel without even knowing him.
She shifted in place, her hands slipping from his grasp.
The sudden loss of warmth made her fingers curl into the blanket beneath her.
“You say that like you know him,” she murmured, her voice softer now, searching.
Elion’s face remained still, but sothing flickered in his eyes—a shadow passing through the deep pools of red.
He exhaled slowly through his nose, the faintest trace of frustration in the motion.
“I know.” His voice was heavier this ti.
“I know what kind of man he is.
n like him…
they wait.
They watch.
They use soone’s naivety to their advantage.” Raelynn’s chest tightened at his words.
Her gaze flicked away, staring down at the folds of the blanket beneath her fingertips.
It stung—the way he made it sound like she was so helpless fool.
“He’s never treated like that…” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“You think that ans he’s incapable of it?” he shot back, his voice colder now.
“Kindness can be the easiest mask to wear.” Raelynn’s heart squeezed at the edge of bitterness in his tone.
Her own frustration began to stir beneath the ache in her chest.
“You don’t know that,” she argued softly, eting his gaze.
“Not everyone has an ulterior motive.” “Good people don’t get close without a reason.” Raelynn’s lips parted, a pang twisting inside her.
His words cut deeper than she expected—because for a mont, it felt like he was talking about himself, not Axel.
“I don’t want to lose a good friend like him.” Elion’s eyes darkened, his lips parting as if to argue, but then he closed them again.
His fingers flexed against his knees, fighting to keep his composure.
The silence stretched between them—thick, uneasy.
Raelynn glanced at him from beneath her lashes, struggling to hold back the ache rising in her chest.
“Axel…
he didn’t even force to tell him who the father of my baby is.” Her voice was small, but there was a quiet strength in the way she said it.
“He offered to call the father, but I said no.
He didn’t press any further.
He respected my choice.” For a mont, Elion didn’t move.
He just stared at her—frozen—like the air had been knocked from his lungs.
Then his face darkened, shadows curling along the sharp angles of his jawline.
His crimson eyes burned, the gentle warmth in them swallowed by sothing colder.
“He knows?” Elion’s voice was dangerously low.
Raelynn’s heart thudded.
Her mouth parted slightly, realizing too late what she had just admitted.
“Y-Yes…
but he doesn’t know it’s your baby!” she quickly added, shaking her head.
“I never told him.
He only knows that I’m pregnant.
That’s all.” Elion’s breath sharpened.
His hand shot out, gripping her shoulder—not harshly, but firmly enough to make her heart jump.
“Are you sure?” he demanded, his voice rougher now.
His fingers curled tighter, making her lean back slightly.
“You’re absolutely sure you didn’t slip…
not even once?
Not even by accident?” Raelynn’s heart pounded against her ribs.
Her hands trembled against the blanket, but she quickly shook her head.
“No…
I rember what you told .
I never ntioned your na.
I swear.” Elion’s crimson eyes locked onto hers, searching—digging—as if trying to unearth the truth from the depths of her soul.
The muscles in his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might snap.
For a long, tense mont, he stayed like that—hovering too close, his breath warm against her skin.
Then slowly…
his grip loosened.
His shoulders sagged, and he dropped his head, exhaling a shaky breath.
“Okay…” Raelynn blinked at him, startled by the sudden shift in his deanor.
His hands slid away from her shoulders, but he didn’t et her gaze.
Instead, he pushed to his feet, towering over her once again.
His voice was lower now—tired.
“It’s late…
you need to clean yourself and rest.” Raelynn’s brows knitted together, watching him as he turned toward the door.
The sharp lines of his back looked so rigid, his every movent careful—controlled.
But there was sothing off.
Her chest squeezed as she watched him walk away.
For a fleeting second—just before he reached the door—he glanced back at her.
That’s when she saw it.
It was so brief, so subtle, she almost thought she imagined it—but it was there.
Fear.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Not jealousy.
Pure, raw fear flickered in his eyes before he quickly turned away and disappeared into the dimly lit hallway.
Raelynn’s breath caught in her throat.
Her fingers clutched at the blanket, trying to make sense of what she had seen.
Why was he so afraid?
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