CHAPTER THREE:DINNER
1239 Words
NEVAEH'S POV
“You are mine.”
This was beginning to stress me out, and I definitely do not need stress especially when I had a full day of pretending to like my job and my fiancé.
Who the hell still says stuff like that?What was next? A horse-drawn carriage? A castle in the woods? A blood oath?
Any normal woman would delete the message and report to the police, but I think Carter knew I wouldn’t do that. Instead I did what every stressed woman might do: I ignored the message, shoved my phone under a pillow, and told myself it didn’t happen.
Classic denial. Five stars. Highly recommend.
The next morning felt like I had a hangover. I didn’t sleep. Shocker.
Between the word mate echoing in my brain like an off-key choir and that text message glowing on my screen like a neon red flag, a good night's sleep decided I wasn’t worthy.
I laid in bed with the blanket pulled up to my chin, staring at the ceiling fan like it held all the answers.
By the time I got to work, I had convinced myself to not think about it. Maybe it was a prank. Maybe Harold could come over for a movie night and I could tell him everything that had been happening.
I immediately decided against it the moment the thought finished forming, Harold had the emotional maturity of a decorated balloon. It probably won’t help right now.
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The hours dragged like wet cement.
I buried myself in spreadsheets, emails, and petty requests from the Mayor. Every time I glanced at the clock, my stomach flipped. Kiera texted me three times asking for updates. I ignored her. Mostly because not much had happened.
After my lunch break, I went to the mayor’s office to drop off a document. But when I walked into his office with a manila folder tucked under my arm, I stopped cold.
Because sitting across from Mayor Colton…Was Carter.
Carter Tegelli.
My stomach dropped. I stood frozen in the doorway, folder clutched tight, trying to mask the way my fingers trembled.
I forced a polite smile and stepped into the room, painfully aware of the way Carter’s eyes tracked my every movement.
“Mr. Tegelli,” I said, nodding curtly. My voice sounded smaller than I wanted.
“Nevaeh,” he said, quietly. Like he was saying it for the first time.
I dropped the folder on the desk. “These are the details for the budget cut you asked for. If you’ll excuse me—“
“Actually,” Carter cut in smoothly, his voice low but firm, “I was hoping to speak with Ms. Burton privately. Just for a moment.”
My heart skipped. The Mayor raised an eyebrow. “About?”
Carter’s lips curved slightly. “Security protocol. I’d like to understand more about the town’s internal communication structure. Surely your secretary is the best person to ask.”
I blinked. That was the worst cover story I’d ever heard.
Unfortunately, Mayor Colton seemed flattered by the interest.
“Well, I suppose that’s fine. Nevaeh? You can take him to the conference room.”
My feet felt like bricks as I turned and led Carter out of the office, down the hall, past Marla’s—the receptionist—desk, every nerve in my body pulsating.
When we reached the empty conference room, I opened the door and stepped inside, then turned to face him.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I said, voice low.
He shut the door gently behind him. “But I am.”
His eyes searched mine. And again, I felt that inexplicable tension—like the room had shrunk, like time was bending slightly around us.
“I wanted to apologize”. He said softly.
That… was unexpected. My defensive stance caught off guard.
“For?” I asked, watching him closely.
“For the elevator. And the text. I—I startled you. I shouldn’t have said it that way.”
I blinked. That wasn’t the tone I expected. No arrogance. No teasing. Just… sincerity.
“You texted me,” I said, sounding a little rude.“You had my number. How?”
“Well” he rubbed the back of his neck,voice low but steady. “I asked the receptionist lady. And I didn’t mean to come off… intense. I don’t do this well.”
Explains why Marla was wiggling her eyebrows at me this morning, my chest softened—just a little.
He looked so cute right now.
Stop it Nevaeh.
“I don’t usually get texts that sound like they belong in a horror movie,” I said, quieter now. “But thank you. For apologizing.”
He nodded once with a smile. “I know it doesn’t make sense. I know I don’t make sense. But I want to explain, if you’ll let me.”
I hesitated. My thoughts drifting to my fiancé and a pant of guilt hits me.
“Explain what, exactly?”
He exhaled, almost like he was bracing himself. “Why I called you mate. I promise it was not me being weird. Let me take you to dinner. Somewhere quiet. Just dinner. Just talking.”
My heartbeat picked up again, but not the same way as in the elevator. This time, it felt like curiosity. Like a door I was already reaching for, even if I wasn’t ready to open it.
“I’m engaged."
He smirked. “I know”.
I stared at him, trying to decipher what exactly about this man made it feel like gravity had shifted. He didn’t look dangerous, but he didn’t look safe either. He looked like a storm draped in designer.
“I don’t even know you,” I said, but it didn’t come out harsh.
He nodded. “That’s what dinner is for.”
I didn’t say yes. But I didn’t say no either.
Instead, I looked away and muttered, “I get off at five.”
“I’ll wait outside,” he said, nodding.
“But somewhere public.” I said slowly.
He gave a small smile. “Of course.”
He turned and walked right back out the door without another word.
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At 5:02 PM, I stepped outside, wrapping my coat tighter around me, my hair finally released from its bun now flowy in the crisp air. The streetlights were buzzing faintly. And just like he said—there he was.
Carter Tegelli.
He was dressed in black again. His coat fit like it had been made for him, which, from what little I knew was probably true. Carter leaned against a sleek black car, his snow white hair catching the evening light.
When he saw me, he stood straight and walked around to open the passenger side. Before I stepped into the car, his eyes met mine, and the rest of the world went quiet.
He cleared his throat and walked to the other side of the car the moment I slid in.
We drove in silence to a restaurant just outside of town—some lakeside place with twinkle lights and a quiet ambiance. No one knew me here. It felt… separate. Like a bubble floating outside the real world.
When we arrived, he opened my door for me and offered a hand.
“Shall we?”. He asked with a soft smile.
- Writer
