Chapter 5
777 Words
Shadows of Doubt
It was a strange feeling, waking up and not needing to pretend. For the first time since their engagement began, Mariah felt herself exhale in the quiet warmth of morning sunlight streaming into Sebastian’s apartment. His place still didn’t feel entirely like home—it was too polished, too perfect—but his scent clung to the sheets, and his arm was still around her waist.
She turned to look at him.
His face was relaxed in sleep, mouth slightly open, brow smooth. Vulnerable. Human.
She hadn’t expected this. Not with him. Not ever.
Her heart did a cautious somersault. She slipped quietly out of bed, wrapped his silk robe around her, and padded into the kitchen. Coffee. She needed grounding.
But as the coffee machine hissed and gurgled, so did her thoughts.
What now?
They were no longer enemies, not quite lovers, and still legally engaged. But what did it mean? Were they really building something? Or were they still just clinging to something convenient, something that made sense to everyone else?
She hated the uncertainty.
---
Later that afternoon, Mariah met with her publicist, Dana, to go over the latest press schedule.
Dana flipped through a leather-bound planner. "You two are trending again. That rooftop kiss did numbers. We’ve got three requests for interviews and two morning shows wanting you both."
Mariah shook her head. "I’m pulling back for a bit. No more media stunts."
Dana stared. "You’re serious?"
"Yes. This is no longer for show. We’re figuring things out privately now."
Dana gave a skeptical hum but didn’t argue.
On her way out of the office, Mariah bumped into someone she hadn’t seen in nearly a year.
Julian.
Tall, brooding, still dressed like heartbreak in a tailored jacket. Her ex—the last whirlwind that had left her breathless and hollow.
"Mariah," he said, his voice still wrapped in velvet. "Didn’t expect to see you."
She straightened. "Neither did I."
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Engaged, I hear."
"Public record."
"But is it real?" His voice was low, pointed. "Or just another game?"
Mariah’s spine stiffened. "It’s real."
"Huh," Julian said, hands in his pockets. "Never thought you’d settle."
"It’s not settling. It’s choosing."
"And does he know the real you? The part that runs when things get too close?"
Her jaw clenched. "Goodbye, Julian."
But his words stayed with her.
---
That night, she told Sebastian about the encounter. They were eating takeout in his kitchen, barefoot and domestic.
"Julian’s a ghost," she said. "But he got in my head."
Sebastian didn’t react the way she expected. No jealousy. No anger.
Just curiosity. "Do you think he’s right? That you run when it gets real?"
She didn’t answer immediately. "I don’t know. Maybe."
He reached across the table and took her hand. "Then stay. Even when it’s hard. Especially then."
It wasn’t a declaration. It wasn’t even romantic. But it felt more powerful than any love confession.
Stay.
---
A week later, the cracks began to show.
A misquoted comment in a tabloid made it seem like Sebastian had called Mariah “a strategic move.” Taken out of context, but still… it stung.
The media pounced. Headlines screamed: “Love or Leverage? Trouble in Paradise?”
Mariah confronted him immediately. "Tell me you didn’t say it like that."
Sebastian rubbed his face. "I said the engagement started as strategy. I didn’t say you were."
"Doesn’t matter. That’s what people heard."
"Why do you care what they think? You know the truth."
But did she?
---
The next few days were tense. They canceled public appearances. Stayed apart.
Mariah hated how much it hurt. Not knowing. Not being able to read him.
One evening, she visited her sister, Elise, who had always been the practical one.
"You’re falling for him," Elise said as they sipped wine on the balcony.
Mariah nodded miserably. "I already have."
"Then stop expecting it to be perfect. You always expect love to be fire and glitter. But sometimes, it’s quiet. Complicated."
"What if he breaks my heart?"
"What if he doesn’t?"
---
Back at her apartment, Mariah opened the drawer where she’d stashed the necklace Sebastian gave her. The queen chess piece glinted in the lamplight.
She didn’t want to play games anymore.
So she called him.
"Can we talk?"
"I’ll be there in ten."
When he arrived, she was waiting in the hallway.
"I don’t want to do this halfway," she said. "If we’re in, we’re all in. Even when it’s ugly."
He didn’t speak. Just pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
And this time, Mariah didn’t run.
- Writer
