Chapter 0060
I opened my mouth to argue, but Thea had already flopped onto the sofa, giggling. “This is comfy! I wanna sleep here!”
Elijah smirked, clearly amused. “Looks like the decision’s been made.”
I shot him a look, but his gaze was as steady and unbothered as ever. “Fine,” I muttered, grabbing my pajamas and quickly heading toward the bathroom before he could notice the red tinge to my cheeks. “I’m taking a bath.”
The water in the large jacuzzi was warm, soothing the tension that had built up in my shoulders throughout the day. But even as I let myself relax, my mind wandered back to the bed waiting outside, to the weight of Elijah’s gaze earlier. I didn’t know what to make of it–or of the strange pull I felt whenever we were too close for too long.
When I finally emerged, Thea was already asleep, curled up under the covers of the bed. I supposed she climbed into the bed instead of the sofa after all. Did that mean Elijah was taking the couch tonight?
I looked over to see Elijah standing on the balcony with a glass of wine in hand. The soft breeze carried the faint sounds of the ocean through the open door, and for a moment, I considered just slipping into bed and avoiding any more conversations for the night.
But something drew me to him—maybe the quiet, or the fact that I wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet. Grabbing a spare blanket, I stepped outside.
Elijah glanced at me, his expression unreadable as he gestured to the small table where an open bottle of wine sat. “Care to join me?”
I hesitated, then nodded. “Sure.”
He poured me a glass and slid it across the table as I sat down. The wine was rich and velvety, and it warmed me from the inside as I sipped it, staring out at the view. The city lights looked like a shimmering sea of gold below us.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured.
Elijah nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “Sometimes it’s nice to just… stop for a moment. To take it in.”
I glanced at him, surprised by the softness in his tone. He wasn’t always this open, this unguarded.
For a while, we sat in comfortable silence, the only sounds between us the distant hum of the city and the occasional clink of our glasses. But my eyes kept drifting to the mark on his neck, the faint scar that symbolized a bond I could never compete with.
I didn’t realize I was staring until Elijah spoke.
“What’s wrong?”
I jolted, nearly spilling my wine. “What?”
He turned to me, his dark eyes searching mine. “You’ve been quiet. And you keep looking at…” He trailed off, although I didn’t need him to finish to know that he had caught me staring at his mark.
My throat tightened, and I quickly looked away, gripping the stem of my glass a little tighter. “It’s nothing,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
He didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he didn’t press me, either. “Alright,” he said finally, leaning back in his chair. He cleared his throat and added, “Thea wanted to sleep with you after all, so I’ll take the couch. It’s probably better that way.”
My cheeks flushed, but I nodded, slightly relieved. I stood, wrapping the blanket tighter around myself. ”
1/2
Chapter 0060
Goodnight, Elijah.”
“Goodnight, Agnes.”
+25 BONUS
Inside, I climbed into bed beside Thea, pulling her close against me. A little while later, Elijah came in and quietly prepared his sofa bed. I could hear him shifting on the couch as he settled in.
And eventually, I fell asleep to the strangely comforting sound of his movements across the room.
