Chapter Twenty-Three — “Quiet Betrayals”
266 Words
Chloe left around nine.
She kissed Leia’s sweaty forehead, hugged Owen lightly around the shoulders, and disappeared into the cooling night with a cheery wave.
---
Owen sat in the living room for a while longer, nursing a beer, flipping channels without watching anything.
Leia shuffled past once to grab more tissues.
She didn’t even look at him.
Just a blanket-wrapped ghost.
---
When Owen finally climbed into bed, Leia was already snoring softly.
Face buried half in the pillow.
Mouth open.
A little thread of drool seeping down her cheek.
Fucking beautiful.
---
He rolled onto his side, facing away from her, phone loose in his hand.
He wasn’t expecting anything.
Wasn’t even thinking about anything except how hot the room felt and how loud she breathed.
Then his phone buzzed.
A text.
He opened it and froze before smiling.
---
A photo.
Keeley.
Shirtless.
Smirking into a bathroom mirror.
One arm lifted lazily to tousle her hair, her breasts barely hidden by the way she angled the shot.
Just enough curve to tease.
Just enough bare skin to heat the blood.
The message below it was short:
"Thinking about you."
He angled the phone slightly so Leia’s snoring carcass beside him couldn’t see —
even though he knew she couldn’t.
He let the image soak into his brain.
Let the smile curl slow and satisfied across his face.
His thumb hovered over the keyboard for a second —
half-tempted to answer.
Half-tempted to feed the fire.
But instead he locked the screen.
Tossed the phone onto the nightstand.
And closed his eyes.
Still smiling.
- Writer
