Eryx gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, his jaw set as he stared at the road ahead. He wasn’t even sure why he was this tense.
It was just a kiss.
Or maybe that was the problem. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was Lunara. The taste of her lips, her warmth, the way she didn’t pull away. Worse, the way she responded.
His fingers twitched. He could still feel the shape of her waist under his palms, the way her breath hitched against his lips. ’Damn it. Why am I still thinking about it?’
This wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t like this. He never let things get to his head, not even with Seraphine. But right now, his mind was a complete ss, and the reason was sitting right next to him, shifting in her seat like she wanted to disappear.
Lunara cleared her throat. "So... are we going ho?" The question itself was awkward in their silence mont.
"Yeah," he said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Unless you have sowhere else to go."
Lunara shook her head, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. "No, ho is fine."
Silence stretched between them again.
"So, are you not going to tell what’s going on?" Lunara took the initiative to ask since Eryx didn’t seem willing to explain anything.
"Which one?" Eryx’s eyes stayed on the road for a mont before he finally spoke. "Do you an the kiss or why we were hiding earlier?"
Lunara pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure which answer she wanted more.
"The hiding part," she said, ignoring the warmth creeping up her neck.
Eryx let out a small, uninterested hum. "Nothing important."
She frowned. "Nothing important? You dragged into a storage room, paid soone to keep quiet, and acted like we were running from the mafia for nothing important?"
Eryx’s jaw clenched slightly, but his tone remained even. "It’s handled."
"That’s not an answer."
Lunara let out a frustrated sigh, crossing her arms as she turned to face him. "You know what? Fine. Keep your secrets."
Eryx didn’t respond, his focus on the road, but she wasn’t done.
"Then tell this," she pressed. "What about our marriage?"
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, but he still didn’t look at her.
"Are we just going to keep it a secret like you suggested yesterday?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended. "Or are you actually going to acknowledge it at so point?"
Lunara huffed when Eryx didn’t imdiately respond. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, his jaw clenched, but he said nothing.
She wasn’t going to let this go. "I need an answer. You keep acting like this is just so inconvenience, but then..." She swallowed, frustrated. "Then you kiss like that. You act like you don’t care, but you look at like... like you do."
His fingers flexed against the wheel, but still, he stayed silent.
Lunara let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "See? This is exactly what I an. You say one thing, but then you do another. You tell to keep my distance, but you pull closer. You wanted this marriage to be a secret, but you’re the one making it complicated! Are you playing with right now?!"
Eryx’s jaw tensed and his eyes stayed locked on the road.
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Are you even listening to ?" she pressed. "Or are you just going to sit there and act like this isn’t happening?"
Still, no response.
"Answer ! Are you playing with right now?!" she repeated, her voice rising. "Because if you are, just say it! At least then, I’ll know where we stand instead of—"
"Stop." His voice was low, controlled but there was an edge to it.
Lunara blinked. "Stop what?"
Eryx finally turned to glance at her, his expression annoyed. "Stop disturbing !"
Lunara’s lips parted, but no words ca out. She just stared at him, her chest rising and falling as if the air had been knocked out of her.
Eryx knew the mont his words hit her. The hurt flickered across her face, just for a second before she turned away looking out of the window.
’Damn it.’ He cursed himself in his mind, gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. He hadn’t ant to say it like that. He hadn’t ant to hurt her.
Silence filled the car, thick and suffocating.
Then, finally, Lunara spoke. Her voice was quieter this ti, but firm. "Stop the car."
Eryx’s jaw tightened. "Lunara—"
"Stop... The car." She didn’t look at him, her gaze locked on the passing streets outside.
He hesitated, but the way she sat, rigid, fists clenched in her lap, it told him she wasn’t going to ask again. With a heavy breath, he pulled over to the side of the road.
The mont the car ca to a stop, Lunara unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle. "Unlock the door, please." This ti, her voice was shaky, like she was holding back her emotions.
Eryx swallowed hard. "I’m sorry. I didn’t an to—"
"It’s okay. I know what you ant," she cut him off, her tone quiet but firm. "Just unlock the door." She still refused to et his eyes.
His fingers hovered over the lock, but he hesitated. "Lunara, this is the middle of nowhere. You can’t just—"
She finally turned to face him, eting his eyes. "Can you just please, let go?"
The look in her eyes made his breath catch. It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t frustration. It was worse.
She was hurt. Deeply.
Sothing twisted in his chest, but before he could say anything, his fingers moved on their own.
With just one click, the door unlocked.
Lunara didn’t hesitate. She stepped out without another word, closing the door behind her.
Eryx cursed under his breath. He wanted to say sothing or anything to make her stay. But the way she was looking at him made it clear. She was done fighting.
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