My smile faltered for a split second before I quickly forced it back into place. “How do you know Nicholas?” I asked lightly, just wanting to steer the conversation away from myself more than anything. “Oh, we had a bit of a fling a while back,” the brunette said breezily, tossing a lock of long,
Kayla I froze, looking at the stunned faces around the table. The cupcake was hovering halfway to my mouth, uneaten. Everyone at the table seemed to be looking at me like I’d just committed a sin for trying to eat my dessert. Most of all, I caught sight of Nicholas out of the corner of my eye. H
“Excuse me,” I muttered, not bothering to look at Nicholas. My chair scraped against the floor as I stood, the sound somehow louder than all the laughter. Nicholas turned, his eyes widening slightly, but I didn’t wait for his or anyone else’s reaction. I just needed to escape. Without another word
Kayla Nicholas’s hand slid to the small of my back as he guided me onto the dance floor. The warmth of his palm against the fabric of my dress sent an unwanted shiver down my spine, and my traitorous heart fluttered in my chest as he pulled me a little closer. I was supposed to be mad at him. Ho
Finally, Nicholas’s voice broke the quiet that had settled between us. “I’m sorry about the frosting,” he whispered softly. I blinked up at him, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. His smirk had faded, replaced by something softer, his lips turned down slightly at the corners—so much un
Kayla The kiss started off as a tentative peck, a brief moment to subdue the rumors and nothing more. But it quickly turned into so much more than that. Before I could even wrap my head around what was happening, Nicholas’s mouth was suddenly moving against mine with an undeniable fervor. The
“Hey!” I reached for it, but he held it out of my grasp, flipping it open to the page I had been reading. His brows lifted as he scanned the text, a slow, mischievous smile spreading across his face. “Well, well,” he drawled. “Why didn’t you tell me you made it to this scene?” “Give it back,” I
Kayla & Nicholas Kayla I woke up the next morning to find myself alone as usual. I was pretty sure that Nicholas had spent the night in his office again, but when I padded down the hall and peeked inside, he wasn’t there. With a sigh, I made my way down to the kitchen. Jade was already there,
Nicholas & KaylaNicholasNora stared at me, her eyes wider than before. I stared back in shock, but when I turned to see where Kayla had gone, she was no longer there. I glanced back at Nora, who was still gawking at me like she’d just seen a ghost.“Is there something you needed to talk about?” I
I nodded, suddenly feeling my legs go weak. Three days walking nonstop in the forest, living on berries and squirrels, finally seemed to be catching up to me. I sank down into a nearby chair, slumping slightly.Nicholas glanced at me, then walked out of the room without a word, leaving me and Jade a
KaylaI didn’t hesitate. “Take me there,” I said, turning abruptly toward Nicholas.Nicholas furrowed his brow slightly, as did Emma. I knew they were both surprised at my sudden interest in Nora, who had been nothing but a thorn in my side since we’d met. And frankly, I didn’t blame them. Maybe a f
At that, Nicholas released me, taking a step back. He furrowed his brow. “You look surprised.”“Because I thought you had no intention of going on a honeymoon,” I blurted out, smoothing down the front of my jacket. “I thought…”My voice trailed off, and I couldn’t find it in me to say it out loud. I
KaylaI looked up to see Nicholas approaching, his face pale. “Are you alright?” he asked, stopping a little ways away from where I was standing.I quickly turned away, hoping he couldn’t see the tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m fine.”“Kayla.” Nicholas stepped in my way. “Talk to me. Did something
Was it true that Nicholas had laughed in her face when she confessed her feelings? Was he truly that heartless, even back then? Was it true that Nora thought she was doing me a favor by trying to break us up, by showing me that audio clip?I didn’t think Nora could ever be my friend, not by a long s
KaylaI stared at the deer turning on the spit, its skin turned red and glistening with fat as the fire cooked it from beneath. The air smelled like roasting meat, mingling with the scent of fresh bread and mulled cider.I was starving and surrounded by food that looked utterly delicious, and yet my
Before I could protest further, Nicholas whisked me off my feet, gathering me in his arms like I was as light as a feather. He strode quickly toward the edge of the forest—I was surprised to find that we weren’t nearly as far as I thought we were this whole time—and then veered toward the house.“I’
KaylaI stared wide-eyed down at Nora’s unmoving body, at the pool of blood forming around her abdomen. She coughed and sputtered, eyes glazed over, already worlds away from this place by the time I found her.The warrior said that he had accidentally pushed her too hard during a spar, and she fell