THE PULL BETWEEN US
732 Words
Chapter 15
The garden stretched before Nora, fragrant with roses and lit by silver moonlight. She had slipped away from the glitter of the ballroom, but her heart hadn’t slowed since the dance. Every glance Frank had cast her way still burned in her mind, a fire she had no right to feel.
“Nora.”
Her breath caught. The deep voice behind her was the one she had prayed not to hear and yet longed for all the same.
She turned. Frank stood in the archway, his figure cast in shadows, his expression unreadable. His usual arrogance was there, yes, but something softer too, something that unsettled her more than cruelty ever could.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he said, stepping closer.
“And you shouldn’t follow me,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
Frank’s gaze lingered on her face, on the defiance that trembled with hidden pain. “Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“The dance.” His jaw tightened. “You knew the attention it would draw. You knew the whispers it would stir.”
Nora straightened, meeting his eyes. “For once, I didn’t want to be invisible. Is that such a crime?”
His silence stretched between them, heavy as stone. Then, quietly, he said, “No. It isn’t.”
The admission startled her. She expected mockery, not understanding. She opened her mouth to speak, but Frank took another step forward, closing the distance.
“You don’t belong in the shadows, Nora,” he murmured. “And yet… they keep you there. Why do you let them?”
Her lips parted, but no answer came. How could she explain years of silence, of being told she was less than Roxet, of Evelyn’s sharp reminders that she was nothing more than a pawn?
“Because it’s easier,” she whispered finally.
Frank’s eyes darkened. “Easier, perhaps. But it doesn’t suit you.”
The words stirred something dangerous in her chest. She tore her gaze away, staring at the roses instead. “You should go back inside. Roxet will be looking for you.”
At her sister’s name, Frank’s shoulders stiffened. “Roxet…” he began, then stopped, his mouth tightening. “Roxet is not you.”
Nora’s pulse raced. She shouldn’t let him speak this way ,shouldn’t allow herself to hear the yearning beneath his voice. And yet she couldn’t move, couldn’t run, couldn’t breathe.
“Frank,” she whispered, her tone trembling with both warning and need.
He reached out then, his fingers brushing against her wrist, so lightly she could almost convince herself it was an accident. But the heat that flared through her skin told her otherwise.
“You think I don’t notice you, Nora,” he said lowly. “But I do. More than I should.”
Her heart pounded so fiercely she feared he could hear it. She knew the danger of this moment ,if Evelyn or Roxet saw them here, her already fragile place in the family would shatter completely.
But for one reckless heartbeat, she allowed herself to believe his words.
“Frank…” Her whisper broke, half plea, half protest.
His hand lingered, then withdrew, leaving her wrist cold. He exhaled sharply, as though pulling himself back from a cliff. “Forgive me. This is… impossible.”
“Yes,” she agreed, though her voice cracked. “Impossible.”
The silence between them pulsed with everything unsaid. Then footsteps sounded from the path.
“Nora?” Roxet’s voice rang, honey-sweet but edged with suspicion. “Are you out here?”
Nora’s stomach twisted. Frank’s eyes locked onto hers, a storm of conflict blazing there. Then, swiftly, he stepped back into shadow.
“Go,” he said, his voice rough. “Before she finds us.”
Nora’s chest ached as she gathered her skirts and hurried toward the light of the path. Roxet appeared, her beauty polished, her smile sharp.
“There you are,” she said, linking her arm through Nora’s. “Mother was worried. Come back inside.”
Nora forced a smile, though her wrist still burned where Frank had touched her. As Roxet led her toward the hall, Nora glanced once over her shoulder.
Frank remained in the shadows, watching.
And in that single look, Nora knew whatever game was unfolding, it was only just beginning.
- Writer
