TristinI shouldn’t have. Yet, I couldn’t help but come to her room in the middle of the night. But, she was not here. So, I waited. I sat on the chair in the corner and stared at her perfectly made bed as I tried to come up with something I should say to her.‘ I fell in love with you. ’ She said to me, and I couldn’t hear anything more.I could only stare at her, watch her mouth move, her eyes sparkle under the sunlight. I knew I loved her too, and she was important to me.But I didn’t realize how important she was until she uttered those words. After hearing her tell me that she was falling in love with me, the guilt grew, threatening to swallow me as a whole.I gave her a week to come to a decision, and she never once reached me. But now, I can not wait. I want to tell her that I am sorry, that I didn’t mean to stay silent when she said she loved me. It was just that…My mind went numb.It felt like I was in a dream, and I didn’t want to speak up. I was scared she would disapp
GraceI feel like I am burning, literally boiling in a pot. I huff, trying to shift but the arms around my body pull me back to the warmth, refusing to let me go.Annoyed, my sleepy eyes snap open and land on the familiar face. A scream almost spills out of my mouth, but I press my lips together at the last moment and go silent.Tristin is staring at me. His eyes are droopy and look dead but he is watching me from so close. My gaze runs along his exhausted face, his disheveled hair, and the redness in his eyes.What’s…happening? I wonder as I slowly start to recall waiting for him last night. I sat on his bed and fell asleep but he didn’t come back.Now, he is here, holding onto me like I am going to disappear if he lets go.A frown etches between my brows, anger bubbling to the surface. “ Did you not sleep? ”Okay. That’s not what I was trying to say. I wanted to ask why he was suffocating me.“ No. ” Tristin finally blinks, before his eyes close. Curious and a little worried, I l
GraceI don’t realize when I fall asleep beside him again.The next time I wake up, the sunlight burns my back, and Tristin’s warmth consumes me once more.I blink, slowly recalling what he said before he fell asleep. My eyes fall on his peaceful, resting face. Tristin’s breathing is steady, his chest rising and falling gently against me.For a moment, I just lie there, savoring the sensation of being held so closely, so protectively. But then I remember that we are not completely fine yet. My heart skips a beat, and I begin to pull away. But just as I do, Tristin stirs, his arms tightening around me as if sensing my desire to run away. His eyes flutter open, and he gazes at me with a sleepy, soft smile. “ Good morning, Little Butterfly. ” He murmurs, his voice husky with sleep.I bite my lip, feeling a mix of emotions—happiness, embarrassment, and an overwhelming need to be away before the reality of our situation catches up to us.“ It’s noon by now, I am sure. ” I whisper back, m
GraceI sigh, shifting my attention to the roses beside me. “ So you do care about them. But if you care so much, why do you keep hurting them? ”Ania glares at me for a moment longer, then turns to leave. I glance at her back.“ Keeping yourself locked up in your room or hating your family won’t solve your problems, Ania. The truth will not go away, and you won’t stop hurting. ” I whisper, a lump forming in my throat.I shouldn’t be interfering, but I can’t help it. If Ania keeps hiding herself like this, soon, she will find herself unable to break through this wall. I don’t wish for her to find herself in a state where she finds it hard to even get up from the bed.“ How does it stop then? You are talking as if you know a better solution! Are you not as pathetic as me? Your own family hates you, and you— ”“ That’s right. ” I interrupt and look down at my hands. “ You are right. My family hates me, and I am far worse than you will ever be. ”A moment of silence passes between us, b
GraceAlma just can’t leave me alone. I can tell that she is working hard to establish a better connection between us.It feels weird but not bad. “ What do you think about working again if you get bored? ” Alma asks, sitting beside me on the couch in the lounge.I take my eyes off the news channel on the TV and look at her. “ I want to complete my Masters first. ”“ Are you thinking about returning to— ”“ No, Alma. ” I interrupt her before she can go all full panic mode on me. She leans back, giving me the chance to explain what I plan on doing. I smile, noticing how she forces herself to calm down because she doesn’t want to scare me again.“ I am thinking about transferring to a college here. It might not be easy, but— ”“ You have nothing to worry about. I will tell Tristin to handle everything. ” She grins, making me sigh.“ I want to handle this on my own, Alma. He already has so much to deal with, and I can’t continue to rely on him. ” “ Then you can rely on me. I will make
Tristin“ Did you take care of everything? ” I ask Luca without taking my eyes off Grace, who is standing in the distance.“ Yes, Boss. Ethan will be in for life for everything he did. ” He says.I nod, the weight finally lifting off my shoulders. With Lily gone and Ethan paying for everything he did, Grace is now safe. Still, I can protect her from the physical harm, but I can not shield her from the emotional damage.Lily’s death has had a significant impact on her. I didn’t think she would want to involve herself in her family’s affairs anymore, but she proved it to me.Last night, when she told me that she wanted to arrange a funeral for Lily, I was surprised. A little angry, too, but mostly just surprised.Did I miscalculate Lily’s importance in Grace’s life? Did Grace still hold a soft spot for her evil sister? I kept wondering, but in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her any of those questions.It was clear to me. She needed this. So I didn’t get angry or make her unc
GraceI feel a little uneasy.What will Alma think when she finds out, I held a funeral for Lily and spent a whole day by her grave? I don’t need to explain everything to Alma or anyone. But something in me just doesn’t want Alma to be sad. I don’t want her to think that I don’t care what Lily did to the Roberto family. “ You are back. ” The moment we step inside the mansion and get close to the lounge, Alma’s voice stops me.I grimace, imagining the look on her face. She is definitely going to be disappointed. I should have told her before doing all this.“ Alma. ” I turn around to find her walking towards us. “ Did you take care of everything? ” She turns to Tristin and asks.“ I did, Mom. ” He nods in reply and rubs his shoulder.My gaze is drawn to Tristin’s shoulder. He must be tired. I can tell he didn’t sleep well last night, and from the morning, he was dealing with my issues.I sigh, feeling a little guilty over making him tired.“ How are you feeling now, Grace? ” Alma tu
Grace“ Good. ” Ania nods and straightens up. “ so my condition is… ”The silence stretches, and anticipation builds, making me hold my breath. “ I want to marry. ” Ania finally blurts. “ What? ” Tristin huffs. “ Marry who? ” Alma narrows her eyes.I scoop another spoon of fried rice and munch on it as I watch the interesting scene. Ania is moving at the speed of a train. What is she going to hit, I wonder?“ I want to marry… ” Ania grins and points her finger to our left. All eyes follow her finger, landing on the figure standing in that direction. I choke on the rice in my mouth before hurriedly swallowing it.Oh…wow.“ Luca?! ” Alma is the first to scream. “ You want to marry him? ”“ Yes. ” Ania says without hesitation.“ How long has this been going on? ” Tristin’s voice lowers.“ Since a long time. ” Ania giggles.I give her a thumbs up in my mind. Real smooth. “ What is my sister saying? ” Tristin asks Luca, who is standing there, confused and unsure of what is going on.