Page 19 of Whispers in the Dark
Not like I can ever face him again.
I cringe as I recall the moment of standing on that stage with him towering over me as his dark eyes only took in the sight of one thing and one thing only… Me.
A pathetic girl who’s always quietly loved him from afar.
“Stop!”
My eyes find his…
His knees drop to the grass…
My arms slip around him…
His heart beats as fast as mine…
A rush of emotions swirls around me, but I do my best to shake off the dark memory, breathing deeply.
I’m okay,I remind myself.Everything is okay.
I stretch my arms over my head, my T-shirt riding up my torso—
I momentarily freeze before looking down at myself.
I’m wearing a black T-shirt…
I tug the collar to my nose and sniff.
A T-shirt that smells just like Mauro.Leather and whiskey.
When did I put on his shirt?
I think back to how the night played out.
I remember confessing that I had some financial burdens. Then I remember planting a tiny seed about needing to get married just to see if he’d take the bait. Of course, he didn’t. I mean, what did I expect? For him to suddenly drop to one knee, like some knight in shining armor, rescuing me?
I pinch the bridge of my nose. Maybe I’ve been reading too many romance novels, because apparently, I can’t tell the difference between my life and fiction anymore.
But then I remember exhaustion consuming me.
I could barely keep my damn eyes open, so I closed them, thinking it would only be for a few minutes. I glance at the clock above the fireplace, and upon seeing the time, my eyes widen.
“It’s ten in the morning.” Groaning, I cover my face with my hands. When I drop them, a pile of clothes on the end of the table catches my attention. A small piece of note paper sits on top. Hesitantly, I reach for it, but stop when a vibration on the floor catches my attention.
As the vibrations continue, I glance down and spot my bag. I reach inside and retrieve my phone. Seeing my dad’s name on the screen, I take a deep breath and answer it. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, sweetheart,” he replies. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Nope,” I lie, leaning against the cushions. “How are things?”
“Oh, can’t complain. Was just playing a neighbor in chess and beat his ass.”
I laugh. “I would expect nothing less.”
“And what about you?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Reading anything new?”
