Chapter 14
829 Words
Seraphina
Oh my God.
Oh my God.
Oh my God.
What did I just do?
Fuck. s**t. f*****g s**t.
I flirted with Isabel’s father.
The realization hit me all over again, sharp and unforgiving. I could still feel it—him—behind me. The unmistakable hardness pressed into my back. He might not have noticed.
But I did.
God, I did.
And worse—I wanted it again.
Jesus. What the hell is wrong with me? This is sick. Truly sick. You are sick, Seraphina. You need help. Professional help. You are—
“Are you listening to me?”
I blinked, lifting my eyes to meet Isabel’s through the mirror. She stood in front of her dresser, fixing her earrings for what felt like the fifth time. We were getting ready for a party later tonight. Her nails were long, and she kept complaining about how they made everything harder, yet she refused to take them off.
Yes, Bee. I’m listening.
But your problems are nowhere near as bad as mine right now.
I swallowed the thought and smiled instead. Fake. Polite. Like the liar I had apparently become.
“Yes, Bee,” I said, stepping closer to help her. I clipped the earrings behind her ears properly and adjusted her necklace—she’d put it through the wrong loop again. “Are you sure you want to go to the party though?”
Her brows creased. “Why?”
I shrugged lightly. “I mean… you said Magdalene is coming over tonight. Wouldn’t it be better if we stayed in? You know. See what they’re up to?”
What I didn’t say was that I wasn’t sure I could leave them alone together.
Did they touch?
Did they kiss?
Did he press himself into her the way he did to me?
The memory of Alderic’s office—of last week—sent a sharp, urgent heat straight to my core. It wasn’t enough that I had touched myself to the image that night. Or the night after. Or the night after that. Every single time, it was never enough.
The thought of what his punishment could have been if Isabel hadn’t walked in replayed endlessly in my head. It haunted my sleep. It followed me into the day.
Isabel’s heavy sigh pulled me back.
“I know, munchkin,” she said, closing her eyes. “And trust me—that alone was enough to keep me up all night. Just imagining that smug b***h having a night alone with my father nearly sent my blood pressure through the roof.”
I rubbed her back gently. “But?”
“But.” Her eyes opened. “I can spare her for one night. I actually need this night, munchkin.”
I turned her to face me. The sadness in her eyes made my forehead press against hers without thinking.
“What’s going on, Bee?”
Her shoulders sagged. Her lips pushed into a pout. “You remember that guy I told you about?”
I frowned, searching my memory. Then it clicked.
“The… old man you met on your trip?”
She slapped my palm. “He is not old,” she protested, stomping her foot like a child. I chuckled despite myself.
“Fine. Not old. What about him?”
She rolled her eyes and brushed past me, collapsing onto my bed. Her fingers twisted together as she stared at them. “He’s coming into town today. He asked to see me.”
My eyes widened. “That’s great news—”
“Not,” she cut in.
“What? Why?”
She sighed. “He’s coming with his divorced wife.”
Oh.
I sat beside her and took her fingers in mine, squeezing gently. “I’m sorry, Bee. But if they’re truly divorced… maybe this is your chance. Maybe you should think about giving him another shot.”
She looked up at me sharply, shock clear in her eyes. I knew what she was thinking—why the sudden change?
Maybe because I’d found myself an old man of my own. One I wanted to own me as much as I wanted to own him. One I couldn’t stop thinking about.
“Do you really think so?” Hope crept into her voice, and it hurt.
I wished my situation were that simple. With her, at least she knew he wanted her. With Alderic… I didn’t know. Apart from his body’s reaction—which could have been purely physical—there was nothing else to hold onto.
And of course he didn’t want me.
Of course he didn’t.
“I think if it’s meant to be, it will be,” I said softly. “But for now… how about that party?”
Her face lit up instantly. “f**k yeah.”
I smiled, but my chest felt tight.
I could really use a drink tonight. Maybe enough to quiet the voices in my head.
- Writer
