Chapter 64
Tristan didn’t respond to my kiss. He just sat there like a statue, completely frozen. That’s when the reality of what I’d done crashed over me like ice water.
What am I doing?
1 jerked away from him as if his lips had burned me “I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. That was a mistake,” I blurted out, already scrambling to my feet.
“Ath…” he started, but I didn’t stick around to hear whatever he was going to say. I bolted up the stairs
like the house was on fire, taking the steps two at a time.
I shut my bedroom door behind me with more force than necessary and leaned my back against it,
sliding down until I was sitting on the floor. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might explode
right out of my chest. 2
“Oh my God! What did I just do? What have I done?” I covered
believe what had just happened.
y face with both hands, still unable to
I’d kissed Tristan. On the lips. While he was telling me about losing his mate and unborn child. What
kind of person does that?
Nice one, Athena. You just managed to make your relationship awkward again. And right after things were getting better between you two.
I heard his footsteps in the hallway, getting closer to my room. I held my breath and pressed my back harder against the door. Trying to make myself as small as possible.
Please don’t let him knock. I don’t know how I’d face him right now. I might actually die from shame.
Because seriously, who kisses a man when he’s telling you a story about his painful past? Only me. Only Athena could be that stupid and insensitive.
My name should be in the record books for the person who has embarrassed herself the most times in
one lifetime.
I held my breath as I heard him stop right outside my door. He didn’t knock though. He just stood
there.
Maybe he was thinking about whether he should knock or not. Maybe he was trying to figure out what
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Chapter 64
to say to the crazy girl who’d just attacked his face with her lips,
After what felt like forever, I heard his footsteps going back down the hallway.
Only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding and smacked my forehead with my palm.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I whispered to myself over and over,
After I was sure Tristan was gone – probably to his own room to figure out how to avoid me for the rest of eternity – I dragged myself up and walked to my bed like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.
The whole night was torture. I kept tossing and turning, my mind going over every single second of that kiss. How soft his lips had been. How he’d smelled like soap and something…. uniquely him. How he’d gone completely still like I’d shocked him with electricity.
Couldn’t help but imagine how awkward tomorrow was going to be. How was I going to face him? What if he sat me down and said, “Athena, what happened yesterday can never happen again.” I would probably dig a hole in the backyard and bury myself alive.
Maybe I could fake being sick. Or better yet, maybe I could actually get sick from pure embarrassment and avoid this whole situation.
I barely slept at all. And Claire wasn’t helping matters, she’d been silent for weeks but of course this was the night she decided to show up, right when I needed her least.
She couldn’t stop going on and on about the kiss. About how amazing it felt when our lips touched.
That kiss was amazing, she had said on my head. Did you feel how right it was? How complete we felt when our lips touched his?
“Go away,” I’d muttered into my pillow. “You’re not helping.”
You should try seducing him, She had the nerve to suggest I should try seducing Tristan, like it was perfectly
normal advice.
I bet if you showed up at his door in that red lingerie set…
Yes, I was just as horrified as you probably are right now.
“Claire!” I said her name out loud. “Are you insane?”
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Chapter 64
I’m practical. We want him, he clearly wants us, so why are we playing these games?
10%
“Because he just finished telling me about his dead mate! The one he loves. Because I’m supposed to be like a sister to him! Because this is completely wrong!”
Says who? You’re both adults. You’re both single. You’re both clearly attracted to each other.
I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head. Sometimes I wondered how Claire and I were supposed to be the same person. She had no filter and apparently no shame either.
But I couldn’t entirely blame her. She’d been through hell right alongside me, and she just wanted to find love and peace again. The problem was, the only kind of love and peace Tristan could offer was the brotherly kind, nothing more.
I keep trying to tell her that, but does she listen? Of course not.
By the time morning light started creeping through my windows, I looked like I’d been hit by a truck. I stumbled to the bathroom mirror and winced at my reflection.
Dark circles had taken up permanent residence under my eyes. My skin was pale and blotchy. My hair stuck up in about twelve different directions. I looked like something that crawled out of a horror movie.
Perfect. This was exactly how I wanted to face Tristan after last night’s disaster.
I turned on the shower as hot as I could stand it and stepped under the spray, letting the water run over my body from head to toe.
Maybe if I stayed in here long enough, I could wash away the memory of how his lips had felt under mine. Maybe the hot water could cleanse me of whatever temporary insanity had made me think kissing him was a good idea.
I stayed in that shower until the water started running cold, After I finally got out, I put on clothes and decided I needed to go downstairs. I was thirsty and needed water before I could even think about
facing the day.
And maybe a large hole to crawl into.
I crept downstairs like I was sneaking through enemy territory, hoping against hope that Tristan was in his room. Maybe I could grab a quick drink and some toast and find my way to the garage myself, before
he comes out.
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Chapter 64
I was so focused on being quiet and avoiding him that I didn’t notice him walk into the kitchen, until I
heard a sound next to me.
“Ahh!” I jumped about three feet in the air, my heart practically leaping out of my throat, the water
bottle I’d grabbed nearly dropping.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
