"Get married?"
The words rang like a danger bell in her head, pulling a painful mory to the surface. She could still see Joshua’s face when they were planning their own wedding, the shared excitent, the guest lists, the dreams of a future that had been incinerated in the accident that took his life.
Karn watched as the light drained from her face, her cheerful expression collapsing into sothing dark and gloomy.
"Aisha." He reached out, his hand grasping her arm with a gentle touch. "What happened? Why did you suddenly turn quiet?"
She shook her head instinctively, pulling her arm back to create a small, safe distance between them.
"Did I trigger a mory?" Karn asked, his voice softening as he searched her eyes for the answer.
"Kind of. I was supposed to marry..." She paused, the words catching in her throat. "I shouldn’t be thinking like this, not now, but I can’t help it."
Her eyes flooded with tears born of sudden, sharp fear. Seeing her distress, Karn didn’t hesitate; he pulled her into a firm hug, one arm wrapping tightly around her waist while his other hand rested protectively on the back of her head, pressing her face into his chest.
"I’m sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I didn’t an to bring you pain."
"No, you haven’t," Aisha replied, shutting her eyes tight and letting the warmth of his embrace ground her.
They stayed like that for a long mont. Karn eventually pulled away slowly, pressing a lingering, tender kiss to her forehead. His palm remained rested on her cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear.
"Do you want so water?" he inquired.
Aisha shook her head in refusal, her breath finally evening out.
He grasped her hand and guided her to a sleek counter chair, making sure she was settled before taking the seat next to her. "This ti, you’ll get to live happily. I promise." He tilted his head slightly, catching her gaze to ensure she saw the sincerity in his eyes.
Aisha managed a small, fragile smile. "I pray for this. I just... I don’t want anything to happen to you because of ," she added, the old fear still whispering in the back of her mind.
"Nothing will happen. And Aisha, you must stop blaming yourself for Joshua’s accident," Karn explained, his tone as gentle as possible. "You can’t control when soone’s ti cos. That isn’t in our hands."
He reached for the cheesecake box, flipping the lid open to reveal the perfect, creamy dessert. "Now, let’s eat. I think we both need sothing sweet."
Aisha smiled, nodding her head.
~~~~
Dominick and Jeniva sat in the quiet park near her place. Most of the families and joggers had already headed ho, leaving them in a pocket of privacy.
"You’ve been quiet ever since you arrived," Jeniva said, tilting her head to catch his eye in the dim light. "Did you see your ex again? Don’t tell you picked another fight with her?"
Dominick let out a dry chuckle, leaning back against the cold wooden slats of the bench. "No. I didn’t et her, and I certainly didn’t fight with her," he answered, though his gaze remained fixed on the darkened treeline. "What makes you think that’s the only reason I’d be quiet?"
"Because whenever you’re feeling unsure of yourself, the first thing that happens is an outburst," Jeniva countered, her voice calm but knowing. She watched him closely, noting the tension in his jaw that even his laughter couldn’t quite hide.
Dominick sighed. "I refused to accept my fault. And even when I did, I was arrogant. I moved on too fast, didn’t I?" He turned his head, his gaze searching hers for an honest answer.
"Are you feeling guilty about that?" Jeniva asked.
"I feel bad, not necessarily guilty," Dominick affird, looking back toward the empty park. "I tried to stay away from the idea of a mate. I even rejected you once. But it ca back. The bond returned regardless of what I wanted. I don’t fully understand it, which is why we decided to... well, why we decided to move forward with this."
"True," Jeniva stated with a pragmatic gaze. "We rejected each other once, thinking everything would turn out fine on its own. But when it didn’t, we found our way back. We’re still getting to know each other, Dominick. We didn’t start with those deep, overwhelming feelings. We started with a choice."
"I don’t want to be the man who only acts out of duty or a bond," Dominick murmured. "I want to be the man who chooses you because he wants to."
"Hmm. I know," Dominick murmured.
He lowered his gaze for a mont until Jeniva spoke again.
"My sister is returning tomorrow for a short break," she stated, her tone shifting to sothing more practical. "I haven’t told her about us yet."
Dominick looked up, his brow furrowing slightly. "I told you not to hesitate in telling her. My family already knows, well, everyone except for Kate," he answered.
"I’ll see to it," Jeniva replied, her expression unreadable. She stood up from the bench, smoothing out her coat, and extended her hand toward him.
Dominick reached out and caught it. With surprising strength, she pulled him up, the montum drawing him so close that their chests nearly brushed.
"Don’t worry so much, Dominick," she whispered, her eyes locking onto his. "Moving on isn’t bad," Jeniva said. "And I’m sure your ex will also move on now that you’ve been clear with her and apologized from the bottom of your heart."
Dominick smiled, feeling a rare sense of comfort in her words. Yet, even as the tension in his chest eased, a familiar doubt lingered in the back of his mind.
’Would I fuck up this ti, too?’ The fear of repeating his old patterns was a shadow he couldn’t quite shake, no matter how much he tried to step into the light.
"You should go back," Jeniva pronounced, breaking his train of thought as she looked up at the ink-black sky. "It’ll be late by the ti you reach the palace."
"I’ll walk you to your ho first," Dominick said, walking a step ahead of her.
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