Novel-novel oleh Miss Authorita

The silence stretched like wire between us.He didn't move. Neither did I.I was still one flight above the lobby. One floor from the exit. One breath from breaking.But his voice…"Come back upstairs."It wasn't loud. It didn't need to be.I swallowed. "I couldn't sleep.""You packed a bag.""A workout bag""At midnight?"My mouth opened. No words came.He descended one step. Bare feet on marble. Slow and controlled."You think I don't feel it?" He asked. "The way you flinch now. The way you barely look at me when i touch you."He was closer."I let you flinch, Caitlin. I let you pretend."Another step."But you belong to me."I gripped the railing behind me. "I'm not property.""You're not." He nodded. "You're mine."There was no anger in his voice. That would've been easier. He sounded calm. Almost...hurt.And that was more dangerous than anything else."You kissed me like you meant it," he said. "And then you started counting the days."Tears stung my eyes.He reached the bottom o

The next morning, he brought me flowers.For reasons I do not exactly know. White orchids. My favorite. Or rather, his favorite for me.He sat them on the breakfast bar like a gift and watched me with that unreadable smile, the one that made me feel like he was testing me and I was already falling."For you," he said. "To brighten things up."I touched the petals with careful fingers. "They're beautiful.""They reminded me of you." He stepped closer, brushing my hair behind my ear. "Delicate. Elegant. A little hard to read."I forced a laugh. "You've been reading my journal again?"He smiled, but didn't answer.Something shifted in my stomach, but I wouldn't allow it."Pack a bag," he said casually. "We're leaving tomorrow. A week on the coast. Just us."My blood went cold. Tomorrow. That was nine days early."But… Your meetings," I said. "The board…""They can wait.""But.." He cupped my face, and I froze."Cait," he said gently. "You've seemed… distracted lately. Tired. I think a

**We met in the back of the bookstore again, the same little aisle that smelled like old paper and ink. Sophia was already there, pacing between shelves, her face sharp with impatience."You kissed him," she said before I even opened my mouth."I…" My voice caught. "It wasn't like that.""Oh, come on, Cait," she snapped , turning to face me. "You think I haven't seen this before? You're trauma bonded. It's textbook. Abuser breaks you down, then throws you scraps of affection like they're gifts. And you eat it up because he's the only warmth in the freezing hell he built around you."Her voice was low, but furious. Her eyes glistened, not with tears, but with rage."I didn't mean to," I whispered. "It's just, happened." "No, it didn't. You let it. Because some part of you still thinks he's going to love you the way you need."She stepped closer."But he won't. He's not capable. He never was."I lowered my eyes, shame burning behind my ribs.Sophia exhaled and ran her hands through h

He hadn't asked about my trip again. Which scared me more than if he had.Aiden was watching me more closely now. I could feel it. Little things.The way he paused at the doorway before leaving, the way his fingers grazed my arm longer than necessary, the way his eyes scanned the room when he walked in like cataloging what had moved while he was away.I tried to act normal, stay quiet, fold clothes the way he liked, pour his whiskey before he asked, look at him like I wasn't hiding something.Because I was. God, I was.That envelope sat behind the hollowed-out copy of wuthering heights, like a ticking clock with my name etched on it. I hadn't touched it since. I didn't dare.Three nights passed like that. Tension stretched thin across hours I couldn't hold onto.And then came the rain. Not soft romantic rain, not the kind that slammed against windows like it was trying to get in. The sky cracked open and didn't close for hours. The city blurred behind wey glass, and the lights looked

I don't remember falling asleep. But I remember waking up.It was still dark when my eyes blinked open, the shadows in the room too thick to be natural. My breathing was shallow. My body stiff. For a moment, I didn't know where I was, just that I didn't feel safe.And then I felt it. The weight next to me.Aiden's arm was draped loosely across my waist, his breath warm against my shoulder. Not tight. Not controlling. But there, always there, like he belonged to me. Like I belonged to him.I didn't move. Didn't even flinch.It just stared at the ceiling, willing my heart to stop thudding so loud. As of even that could wake him. The memory of Jameson's stare burned at the back of my mind like a bruise. The way he'd spoken about me like I was a thing. And worse, the way Aiden didn't stop him.She knows when to stay quiet.I closed my eyes. Swallowed the taste of shame.Later, after Aiden left for a meeting, some last-minute call with "people I didn't need to worry about." I sat in the ki

I snatched it up, thumb fumbling against the screen."You alone?" Sophia asked."Yeah, i left" i gave a fast reply.Seconds later, the call came through. I answered on the first ring."Sophia," i whispered, voice barely there."Hey, sis." Her voice was quiet, steady, like she could already hear the shake in mine. "Are you okay?"I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against my knee where I'd curled into the corner of the bed. "I don't know. It's getting harder."A pause. I could hear her breathing, slow and controlled."He's watching everything. Every move I make, every word I say. It's like I'm… caged. But not even locked in. Just–kept. "You're doing better than you think," she said, calm but not soft. "You made it through tonight. Did he say anything? Did he mention the contacts?"I shook my head, then realized she couldn't see me. "No. He was quiet. Too quiet.""That's not good.""I know." My voice cracked. "I tried to step ahead of him earlier, and he didn't yell. He didn't touc