Page 71 of Colton

Grace narrows her eyes, a smirk widening on her lips. “Ah, Ms. I-don’t-engage-in-gossip finally got interested in something, huh?”

I brush off the teasing comment with a scoff, and it doesn’t truly bother me. I do my best to stay away from such matters, but I've come to realize that being in this group is like being in the spotlight at all times. Hence, I started leaning into it. If you can’t beat them, join them.

Once I hear footsteps approaching, I speak in a hushed voice and hurry to end the call.

“Look, you’ll tell me everything once I come back. I have to go now.”

“Wait—”

I don’t, and simply end the call. That’s when Colton enters, carrying a silver tray filled with food, and my stomach growls loudly. There’s a glass of water with two ice cubes in it, a plate with scrambled eggs, two pancakes, two slices of toast, sliced up tomatoes, and a small bowl with strawberries. Where the hell did he find fresh strawberries that look that good? It’s almost winter time.

He sets it on the bedside table and pulls it closer to me, then takes a seat next to me.

“Eat,” he instructs. “If it’s not to your taste, I’ll have the chef prepare something else, but I thought you’d appreciate something light.”

“No, no,” I shake my head, not surprised at all that he has a chef around the clock, “this is perfect. Thank you.”

He smiles, nods, and stands up. Immediately, I start eating, eyes closing briefly. The food at the academy is excellent, and the choices are great, but after four years, all of them got boring. This is one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a while, and it could be because the food quality is superior.

My eyes follow him around the room, and he enters his walk-in closet, only to return with an unopened hairbrush. He carefully opens it, then gets in bed behind me. And so, we spend the next ten minutes in silence.

While I’m eating, Colton’s gently brushing my hair, making sure not to pull too hard on the knots that formed during the night. His touch is feather-light, and the care he puts into it makes my heart swell.

It’s peaceful — something I could see myself spending my free time like this. It’s the kind of silence that doesn’t have to be filled with chatter, and just being in each other’s presence is more than enough.

Once he’s done, he sets the brush aside, his fingers gliding through my hair one last time, ensuring there are no imperfections. Then, without saying a word, he leans in, kissing the back of my head. His lips linger there, and I swear, I almost die from inner happiness.

So much so that I decide to ignore the feeling of impending doom in the pit of my stomach.

◆◆◆

Unfortunately for me, Colton has to do some work even during the weekend. Am I disappointed? Yes, only because I thought we’d be spending every waking moment together during this weekend getaway.

However, he gave me permission to venture through the castle, to roam freely, and enter every single room. Which, of course, I took him up on. The castle itself is very big, and it’s easy to get lost. Colton mentioned that in each hall, there’s a small button on the wall, and it would call for Emiliano to find me wherever I am if I were to get lost.

And boy, did I get lost almost immediately.

It’s hilarious, too. I’m walking down the halls, and although they resemble each other, each one has something unique, which is how I’m able to tell I’m at least not going in circles. The doors that seem to be bedrooms are of no interest to me, and instead, I aim for those that are more professional-looking, like an office or something of the sort.

The first room I stumble into is a mini library. It’s the size of my dorm back at the Academy, and definitely not the one Colton took me to the last time. It has a lot of books, and the only common thing is that they’re all strictly non-fiction. There’s a small working table right across the door, with a lamp on it, and a single chair.

Despite it being in pristine condition, without a single speck of dust or anything misplaced, I can tell no one’s used this room in a while. I glance around, looking through the titles, but since I’m not big on the topics that most of these books contain, I decide to leave.

I don’t even know how many flights of stairs I’ve climbed since Colton announced he’d be working, and I finally decide it’s time to go down. If I don’t find the main entrance of the castle, it would still be easier to find my way around if I’m on the ground floor, rather than the fourth.

What surprises me the most is that I haven’t run into anyone at all. Colton has a lot of people working at the castle at all times, from chefs and his butler to cleaners that ensure there’s nothing out of place. But where are they? It’s still early in the day, it’s not even noon yet, and no one’s in sight.

The silence is eerie.

If it weren’t for the massive windows that let the daylight in, I’d definitely be worried that I entered a slaughterhouse straight from a horror movie. A shiver runs down my spine, and I continue following the path I believe takes me down.

How the hell are they warming up this place?

It’s too massive. I don’t want to know how much their monthly electric bill is, or any bill, for that matter. It seems excessive to own such a big place for only two people, even if they do come from a lot of money.

“Ms. Evans,” the voice comes from behind me, and I squeal.

My heart almost leaps straight out of my chest, and it’s only when I turn around and spot Emiliano that I breathe out in relief. It’s no one coming to murder me — it’s just him.