A House Too Big for Her Heart
1321 Words
David’s hand never left Felicia’s as they walked through the quiet streets.
The city had settled into night, its noise softened, lights dimmer, almost peaceful. But inside Felicia’s chest, nothing was calm.
Her thoughts kept crashing into one another, sharp and relentless.
The fire, the heat. Andrew’s voice on the phone. The way David had held her like she was something fragile—and precious.
Each step felt unreal, like she was moving through the remains of a life that no longer belonged to her.
She glanced at David.
His face was calm, controlled, but she knew him too well. His grip was tight, and protective.
He was holding back—his anger, his fear, his questions—so she wouldn’t have to carry them too.
“Felicia,” he said quietly, slowing his pace. “You don’t have anywhere to stay tonight, do you?”
Her throat tightened.
She shook her head. “No.”
The word felt heavier than it should have.
“My place is gone,” she added softly. “Everything I owned… it’s all gone.”
David stopped walking.
The streetlight above them flickered, casting uneven shadows across his face.
He turned fully toward her now, his eyes searching hers, as if he needed to be sure she was really there alive.
“Then you’ll stay with me,” he said.
Not a question. A decision.
“At my place. It’s safe.”
Felicia hesitated.
Her pride rose instantly, sharp and stubborn. She had always hated relying on anyone.
Even when Andrew had disappointed her again and again, even when she had felt alone, she had survived on her own.
But tonight had stripped her bare.
No home. No relationship. No sense of control.
She looked down at their joined hands.
“I don’t want to be a burden,” she whispered.
David frowned. “You’re not.”
“I mean it,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
He exhaled slowly, like he was choosing patience over frustration. Then he squeezed her hand.
“Felicia,” he said quietly, “you almost died tonight. Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”
Her chest tightened.
After a long pause, she nodded. “Okay.”
Relief flashed across his face so quickly she almost missed it.
They kept walking.
The streets slowly changed. Small buildings gave way to wider roads. Streetlights became brighter. Tall gates rose ahead, framed by stone walls and glowing lanterns.
When David stopped, Felicia froze.
Her breath caught.
Before her stood a mansion so large it didn’t look real. Tall iron gates curved outward, elegant and intimidating. Soft golden light spilled from tall windows.
Beyond the gates, she could see a garden—perfectly trimmed hedges, fountains quietly flowing, marble statues standing like silent guards.
It was beautiful.
And terrifying.
“David…” she whispered.
He watched her carefully. “Is it too much?”
She let out a weak laugh. “Too much?” She shook her head. “I thought you had a nice house.
I didn’t know you lived in a palace.”
He gave a faint smile. “It’s just a house.”
Just a house.
Felicia swallowed.
The gates opened smoothly, without a sound. As they stepped inside, warmth wrapped around her instantly. The floors gleamed.
Chandeliers glowed softly above them. Everything smelled clean, expensive, untouched by disaster.
She suddenly felt very small.
A man in a neat suit appeared almost instantly. “Young Master David,” he said respectfully. “You’re home.”
“This is Felicia,” David said. “She’ll be staying for a while. Prepare a guest room. And get her some clothes.”
Felicia stiffened. Clothes?
The man nodded and left without question.
She slowly pulled her hand from David’s. Her heart began to race—not with fear, but with a growing sense of distance.
This world wasn’t hers.
It never had been.
“I don’t need anything expensive,” she said quickly. “Simple is fine.”
David turned to her. “Felicia—”
“I mean it,” she insisted, forcing a smile. “I’ll pay you back. For everything.”
Something dark flickered in his eyes.
Before she could react, he stepped forward and lifted her into his arms.
She gasped softly. “David!”
“Stop pretending you’re okay,” he said quietly, firm but gentle. “You’ve been strong for too long.”
Her hands gripped his shirt without thinking.
“This house,” he continued as he walked deeper inside, “is yours too. At least while you’re here.”
Her chest ached.
No one had ever said something like that to her.
He set her down gently on a couch. She sat stiffly, afraid to touch anything, afraid she didn’t belong.
Before her thoughts could spiral further, voices echoed down the hall.
Laughter.
Music.
And arguing.
David stiffened. “What is that?”
Unease crawled up Felicia’s spine. She stood and followed him.
When they reached the wide room ahead, her stomach dropped.
Several women stood in a neat line.
They wore bikini tops and bottoms, their makeup flawless, their expressions carefully controlled. Some looked nervous. Others confident. All of them beautiful.
At the center of the room stood a man who looked disturbingly like David—same features, same height—but colder.Anson.
“What is this?” Felicia whispered.
David stepped in front of her instantly. “Anson.”
Anson turned slowly, smiling. “Ah. You’re back.”
“What are you doing?” David demanded.
Anson gestured lazily toward the women. “Choosing.”
“Choosing what?”
“The Dragon Queen.”
Felicia’s heart skipped.
Dragon Queen?
“This has nothing to do with her,” David said coldly.
“No,” Felicia said quietly. “It does.”
She looked at the women again. None met her eyes.
“This isn’t my place,” she said. “I shouldn’t be here.”
David turned to her, panic flickering. “Felicia—”
“I’ll move out,” she said, forcing herself to stay steady. “I disturbed your life. I see that now.”
“That’s not true.”
“This world…” she gestured around them. “It’s too big. I don’t belong in it.”
She turned to leave.
David caught her wrist. “Please,” he said, his voice strained. “Don’t walk away again.”
Her chest tightened.
“I can’t survive losing you twice,” she whispered.
Frustration flared across his face. He released her and pulled out his phone.
“Anson,” he snapped, stepping away. “Why are you doing this now?”
“Because time is running out,” Anson replied calmly.
“For who?”
“For you.”
David’s fists clenched. “I told you—I can’t be with them.”
Then David spoke, his voice rough. “I couldn’t be with anyone before.
Not after the dragon spirit awakened. That’s why I left Felicia four years ago. I didn’t want to hurt her.”
Felicia’s heart shattered—and healed—at the same time.
“And now?” Anson asked.
“Now I won’t leave her,” David said. “No matter the cost.”
The call ended.
David turned back to her.
“You heard that?” he asked softly.
She nodded. “You left to protect me.”
“Yes.”
“I hated you,” she admitted. “But you were protecting me.”
“I always have.” David said.
“I’m scared.”Felicia whispered
“I know.”
“But I’ll stay,” she said. “I’ll try.”
Relief flooded his face.
“We’ll face everything together.”
Outside, the mansion stood silent.
Inside, danger waited.
And deep within David, something ancient shifted.
The dragon was awake.
And it was watching.
- Writer
