Kate’s warning clung to like a stubborn shadow as I made my way back to Arec’s penthouse. Even after I’d left her hospital room, her words echoed in my mind, replaying over and over with that sa intensity she’d used to say them.
"Just... don’t trust Joanne too quickly, okay?" Kate’s voice had been uncharacteristically sharp, the edge of worry unmistakable. "I know she seems friendly now, but people like her don’t change overnight."
It wasn’t that I hadn’t considered it myself. Joanne’s kindness, her sudden willingness to help plan the wedding, it was unexpected, maybe even a little too perfect. And yet, I wanted so badly to believe her, to think that maybe she’d changed, that this truce she’d extended was genuine.
She was Arec’s friend, after all, soone who’d been in his life long before I was, and it was hard not to want things to be better between us. But Kate’s instincts were usually spot-on. She’d nearly died for ; maybe that gave her words a certain weight that I couldn’t ignore.
By the ti I reached Arec’s penthouse, my head was pounding, the weight of everything pressing down on . I hadn’t realized how much I’d co to rely on this place as a sanctuary until now. The thought of Joanne, of everything Kate had warned about, seed to fade as I opened the door and stepped into the quiet stillness of Arec’s space. Here, I could shut it all out, at least for a little while.
As I closed the door behind , the sight of Arec in the hallway surprised . He stood near his walk-in closet, pulling a set of clothes from one of the upper shelves, his movents casual in a way that was almost startling.
This wasn’t his usual style. Ever since he’d insisted I stay here, he’d spent more and more nights at his grandmother’s estate, making sure I had the place to myself. It had been a strange arrangent at first, the two of us dancing around each other, but lately, it had begun to feel almost... normal.
He glanced up as I entered, and his face lit up with that easy, familiar smile that always seed to disarm . "Hey, there. How’s Kate doing?"
"She’s better," I replied, setting my things down and exhaling deeply. "They’re letting her go tomorrow."
"Good to hear. She’s been through a lot," he said, his voice gentle but with an unmistakable edge of resolve. "I’ll keep looking, Ella, for whoever’s responsible. We’ll find them, and they’ll pay for what they did."
There was sothing steely in his tone, a fierce determination that made believe him, that made grateful he was in my corner. My throat tightened, the image of Kate in that hospital bed flashing through my mind again. "Thank you, Arec. I just can’t believe she nearly died because of ."
He shut the closet door, crossing the room until he stood right in front of , his gaze unwavering. "Hey, none of that. This isn’t your fault. Whoever’s behind this is a coward. And trust , they won’t get away with it."
His sincerity, the unshakeable confidence in his voice, settled sothing deep within . A part of had been carrying guilt, wondering if maybe I could have done sothing differently, but looking at him now, it was easy to believe he was right.
Then, his gaze drifted downward, softening as it landed on my belly. "How’s the baby?" he asked, his voice gentler, almost reverent.
Before I could even answer, there was a sudden, unexpected kick, sharp, firm, and so perfectly tid that it made laugh, the sound escaping before I could stop it. "I think they’re fine. Looks like they’re answering for themselves."
Arec chuckled, a warm, genuine sound that filled the room. "Smart kid. Probably takes after ."
I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh, so I’m not smart?"
His eyes widened in mock horror, and he threw up his hands, laughing. "No, no, I’d never say that! I’m just saying... they’ll probably have a hint of my charm, too."
We both laughed, and for a mont, it was like everything else faded away. This ease, this closeness between us, it wasn’t sothing I’d anticipated, not when we’d first entered into this arrangent. We’d been cordial, polite, careful. But now, sowhere along the way, we’d slipped into sothing softer, sothing that felt almost... real.
Then, after a mont, his expression changed, becoming more thoughtful as he tilted his head. "So... how’s Joanne?"
The question was innocent enough, but I hesitated, feeling his gaze on , watching for every flicker of my reaction. I still wasn’t sure what to make of Joanne, wasn’t sure how to reconcile her sudden kindness with the woman I’d known before. "She’s... surprisingly nice lately," I replied carefully, testing the words as I spoke them, almost as if I didn’t believe them myself.
Arec’s face brightened, a look of genuine happiness lighting his features. "That’s good to hear. I know Joanne can be a lot sotis, but I’m really glad you two are getting along." His smile was warm, open, and it was clear how much it ant to him.
It made smile, too, just seeing how much he cared. "Actually, I should apologize," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture that was surprisingly endearing. "I gave Joanne your number without asking first. I thought it’d be good for you both, but I probably should’ve checked with you."
I waved it off with a chuckle, teasing but with a hint of seriousness beneath it. "It’s fine. Just... maybe don’t make it a habit?"
He grinned. "Noted."
Then, as he turned to leave, sothing unexpected happened. He leaned in, brushing a soft, lingering kiss against my cheek. The touch was gentle, almost absent-minded, but it sent a warm rush through , sparking sothing deep and unnaable. We both froze, the air between us charged, the scent of his cologne filling the space, his warmth still lingering against my skin.
He cleared his throat, looking away as he muttered, "Bye," and slipped out of the room, leaving standing there, my hand rising to touch the spot where he’d kissed , my heart thundering far harder than it should have been.
What... was that?
I replayed it in my mind, dissecting every second, every detail, trying to make sense of it. Was it just a friendly gesture? A harmless, innocent mont? Or was it sothing more? Did he feel it, too, that strange, electric spark? Or had he just been acting out of kindness, too distracted to notice how long he’d lingered, how close we’d been?
The questions twisted inside , each one more confusing than the last. A part of wanted to brush it off, to tell myself it was nothing, that it didn’t an anything. But another part of clung to that mont, that fleeting brush of his lips against my skin, as if it held so hidden answer I was too afraid to seek out.
I sank onto the couch, staring at the door he’d just walked out of, the mory of that kiss playing over and over in my mind, each ti feeling more vivid, more real. I couldn’t ignore the warmth that lingered, that faint hope that maybe, just maybe, there was sothing beneath the surface, sothing unspoken but powerful. But that hope, as small as it was, scared . It was a fragile, uncertain thing, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to face it.
In the end, I decided to push it aside, to tuck the mory away as best as I could. Maybe it was better not to think too much about it, not to dig too deep into sothing that was still a mystery to .
There were already too many unknowns in my life, too many questions without answers and not ready to add more unanswered question to the list.
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