Sweet Hatred Chapter 336: Formentera pt 2

I pushed his face away, still trying to process how I’d gone to sleep in one world and woken in another. Within the hour, I was being escorted off the yacht, Kael’s hand firm at my back as if I’d lose myself otherwise. A waiting jeep whisked us away to a hotel that looked more like a palace carved into the island itself.

And then it happened again. A neat line of staff bowed low as soon as we stepped out, murmuring greetings in accented voices. My jaw clenched. I grabbed Kael’s ear and yanked it down to my height. "Don’t you ever get tired of this charade?"

"No," he said simply, not even blinking.

I let him go, shaking my head. "Weirdo."

The lobby swallowed us next, marble floors gleaming, chandeliers catching the afternoon light. I suddenly felt small, aware that I’d rolled out of bed barely an hour ago wearing the most plain thing imaginable: an oversized white t-shirt that wasn’t mine, loose drawstring shorts, and sandals. Kael was no better, black tee, dark jeans, hair pushed back with careless perfection, yet sohow he looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine, while I felt like a lost college student on spring break.

So, I picked up my pace, determined not to look out of place. But the rush made my head spin. My knees wobbled, and before I knew it, Kael’s arm was locked around my waist, holding steady. His lips brushed the shell of my ear, his voice low and too smug. "Careful."

I shoved his face away, heat crawling up my neck, but his hand didn’t budge from my waist.

By the ti we reached the suite, a sprawling apartnt more than a room, I barely had the energy to argue. I darted straight into the bathroom, needing to wash the travel off . The mont the water touched my skin, I felt halfway human again.

When I stepped back out, towel-dried and fresh, a tray waited for : a full spread of food, a neat glass of water, and multivitamins lined up like soldiers.

I stared at it. I felt like an old grandmother being catered to.

Then it hit . Why I was like this in the first place.

And before I could stop myself, the thought slipped in like a knife: If Kael had known I was pregnant... if he found out about the baby I lost... he would’ve been even more doting than this. Probably wouldn’t have let lift a finger at all.

My chest tightened, and I had to force a smile to hide the ache blooming inside .

I was still staring at the tray like it held answers I didn’t want to face when Kael walked back in. Casual. Effortless. Like he hadn’t just dragged halfway across the world. His eyes skimd over , too sharp not to notice the shift in my face.

"You’re sulking," he said, voice light, almost smug.

I snapped my head up. "I’m not sulking."

The corner of his mouth tugged up like he didn’t believe a single word. And maybe that was what made it worse, the way he could read too easily, the way his teasing always seed to land right on the bruise I tried to hide. My chest tightened, so I did what I always did when I didn’t want to think too much: I distracted myself.

"Why are we even here?" I asked, sharper than I intended. "Is this another party? Or so... I don’t know, mafia version of a gala? Don’t look at like that!"

His brows rose, faintly amused. "Like what?"

"Like I’m crazy. You’re the one who drags to the most random places and expects to just roll with it."

That earned a chuckle, low and maddeningly unbothered. "If it makes you feel better," he said, leaning against the wall like he had all the ti in the world, "We’ll head over to my place once the final renovations are wrapped up.. it’s just nearby. After that, I thought we could spend a day or two out on the beach, enjoy ourselves a little."

The beach. Those two words sent a flicker of excitent through , warm sand, waves, the kind of simplicity I hadn’t touched in so long, but I forced my face into neutrality, grabbing a bite from the tray like it was no big deal. "Sounds... fine."

"Fine," he echoed, the smirk in his tone making want to throw the whole plate at him.

I turned my back to him, busying myself with pulling on clothes. But the air shifted, the awareness of his eyes burning into even as I tried to ignore him. He didn’t leave. Of course he didn’t. He stayed there, watching as if it were a sport, arms crossed, expression unreadable but heavy enough to make my skin prickle.

I stole another bite from the tray and pretended not to notice.

But every movent, every breath, felt like he was right there in it with .

"Cute," Kael murmured suddenly, breaking the silence.

I stilled, mid-bite, glaring over my shoulder. "Excuse ?"

His smirk was maddeningly slow. "The way you pretend not to care when you’re actually dying to."

My jaw dropped. "I am not dying to."

But before I could finish, he moved. One step, and he was behind , brushing my hair aside with an infuriatingly tender hand, his fingers grazing the back of my neck like he had every right to. I forgot how to breathe when he bent slightly, murmuring low enough for only to hear, "You make it too easy, Aria."

"Stop it," I whispered, though I didn’t step away.

His hand lingered as he tugged at the zipper of my top, sliding it up in one smooth motion before resting his palm lightly against my back. When I turned to face him, I made the mistake of looking up. Green eyes, sharp and soft all at once. His face so close I could trace the lines of it with my fingers if I wanted to.

And God help , I wanted to.

For a second, I forgot what world we were even in. Forgot the island, the guilt, the weight. All I saw was him, and how impossibly lucky I was.

Then he bent, with zero warning, and scooped up like I weighed nothing.

"Kael!" I yelped, smacking at his chest. "Put down!"

He only adjusted his hold, one eyebrow lifting.

"I swear to God," I hissed, gripping his shirt, "if you don’t put down right now, I’ll, I’ll shave your eyebrows in your sleep!"

That made him laugh. Actually laugh. The bastard.