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Chapter 74: In the Shadows of Grief
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The Wife Swap Chapter 75: The quiet between us
Ashley’s POVI woke up to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The sheets felt heavier than my own, the unfamiliar warmth pressing down on me, and the faint scent of his cologne clung to the fabric, unsettling in its intimacy. Slowly, the memory of last night crept back in, piece by piece—the stumble on the stairs, Andreas’ arms catching me, and my uncontrollable tears.And now, his bed.Turning my head slowly, I saw Andreas lying beside me. He was still asleep, his face softened by sleep’s grip, his dark hair tousled. It was the first time I’d seen him look peaceful, free from the cold, controlled demeanor he usually wore. His arm rested on the mattress between us, inches away from where my hand lay.A strange warmth bloomed in my chest, but it wasn’t entirely comforting. The more I looked at him, the more the lines between us blurred. I had told myself that Andreas was someone I couldn’t trust—someone who’d made it c
The Wife Swap Chapter 76: Blurred lines
Ashley’s POVWhen I finally set the bottle down, I felt Andreas’ eyes on me, watching me closely. His gaze lingered on my lips for a beat longer as he reached for the same bottle and downed the remaining contents.I swallowed hard, my throat no longer burning from the cough but from something else entirely.“Andreas…” I whispered, unsure of what I even wanted to say, but I needed to break the tension. I needed to know if he felt it too.He didn’t say anything, just looked at me with those intense eyes, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped. His breath mingled with mine, warm and intoxicating. Every nerve in my body seemed to come alive as the distance between us evaporated. The heat of his touch, the taste of him—everything overwhelmed my senses until all I could focus on was the fire between us.I don’t know who moved first—maybe it was me, maybe it was him—but the next thing I knew, his lips were on mine. The kiss was tentative at first, like he was giving me a moment
The Wife Swap Chapter 77: Fractured control
Andreas’s POVI stood in the quiet of the room, staring at the spot where Ashley had been just moments ago. The air still felt charged, the remnants of our kiss hanging in the space between us like a phantom I couldn’t shake.I raked a hand through my hair, frustration prickling under my skin. What the hell had I been thinking? She wasn’t Ashton—no matter how much she looked like her, and I wondered what it said about me that I was grateful for that.But that kiss...it was real. She was real. And, for a moment, I’d let myself forget everything else—Ashton’s disappearance, the lies, the chaos we were buried in. It was just her—Ashley—vulnerable, strong, and completely confusing. I could still feel the heat of her lips on mine, the way her body had fit so perfectly against mine, like it was something I had been missing. But then she had pulled away. Run. And now, all I was left with was this gnawing sense of guilt, like I’d crossed a line I wasn’t sure I could come back from.I sighed,
The Wife Swap Chapter 78: Unspoken Obligations
Ashley’s POVSteam swirled around me as the hot water cascaded over my skin. I closed my eyes, letting the heat soak into my muscles, hoping it would wash away the confusion I couldn’t seem to shake. I pressed my palms against the cool tile of the shower, breathing deeply as my thoughts kept circling back to one thing.Him.I could still feel the echo of Andreas’s lips on mine, the way his touch had made my pulse race in ways I hadn’t expected. No matter how much I tried to rationalize it, the moment had felt… real. Too real. And now, all I could think about was how dangerous it was for me to let those feelings surface.He wasn’t mine. I wasn’t his. And there were too many lies between us for this to ever work. I shouldn’t have kissed him. Worse, I shouldn’t have wanted more.I tried to force the memory away, my fingers trailing absently down my body, the touch too reminiscent of the heat from before. I inhaled sharply, feeling my breath catch as my fingers grazed the sensitive skin o
The Wife Swap Chapter 79: Solitude in Shadows
Ashley’s POVI had spent the rest of the day hiding out in Ashton’s bedroom, the walls echoing with memories that felt both comforting and suffocating. The soft hum of the house blended with the distant sounds of life below, reminding me that the world continued to turn outside this bedroom. Each time I considered going down for a meal, the knot in my stomach tightened, forcing me back into bed.For once, I was thankful for the kind of home my sister had married into. If I didn’t venture downstairs, food would be brought to me. A small comfort, reinforcing my plan to avoid Andreas. Every moment with him felt like dancing on the edge of a cliff, and I was terrified of the fall—terrified of what it would mean to surrender to the feelings I wasn’t ready to face.Curled up on Ashton’s bed, I inhaled the faint scent of her perfume lingering in the air—sweet, floral, and achingly familiar. It should have soothed me, but instead, it filled the room with a heavy sense of loss. I traced the so
The Wife Swap Chapter 80: The Unexpected Call
Ashley’s POVI had barely set down my phone down when it buzzed in my hand again. For a brief second, I thought it might be Liv calling, maybe to check in on me. But the name on the screen wasn’t hers.Annabel.I hesitated before answering. Andreas’ sister had been nothing but kind to me since I took on Ashton’s life, and the guilt of deceiving her weighed heavy on me every time we spoke. She was under the impression I was Ashton, her sister-in-law, and I hated lying to her the most. But what choice did I have? I dreaded the look of disappointment she would have when she found out the truth in a couple of days.Taking a deep breath, I answered. “Hey, Annabel.”“Ashton!” Her voice was frantic, almost breathless, immediately putting me on edge. “I—sorry to bother you, but I—” She cut herself off, clearly struggling with whatever it was she needed to say.“Annabel, it’s okay. What’s going on?” I asked gently, already sensing the panic bubbling under her words.“I—I have my play tonight,”
The Wife Swap Chapter 81: That door
Ashley’s POVFinally forcing myself out of the room, I made my way down the hall toward Andreas’s suite. Every step felt heavier than the last, as though some invisible force was trying to drag me back. I wasn’t sure what I would say to him after agreeing to Annabel’s plea. The thought of confronting him about something as personal as his sister’s play filled me with unease. Yet, the larger part of me dreaded the weight of the kiss, the confusing tangle of emotions we hadn’t yet addressed.When I reached his room, I found it empty, which was both a relief and a disappointment. The air felt different in here, still carrying the faint musk of his cologne, and my gaze shifted around the space, seeking... I wasn’t sure what. Maybe clues to who he really was beneath the guarded exterior.That’s when my eyes landed on the door. That door. The one that had been locked the first time I’d snuck into his room. Curiosity bubbled up, as it had the moment I’d first seen it. What could he be hiding
The Wife Swap Chapter 82: Unspoken tension
Ashley’s POVI finally took in all of Andreas: his sweaty body, the way his abs gleamed under the soft light, the gloved hands stained with paint, and the fine-lined scar in the middle of his chest—a reminder of something painful, something intimate that I had no clue about. My gaze drifted up to his eyes, those piercing grey orbs that held a mixture of surprise and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite place.I swallowed nervously, the weight of my intrusion crashing down on me. “I—I’m sorry for intruding,” I stammered, desperate to regain some composure. “Can we talk outside?”For a moment, Andreas didn’t move. His eyes searched mine, lingering longer than usual, as if he was deciding something. His jaw tightened slightly, and his lips parted like he wanted to say more than just the words he finally settled on.“Outside.” He nodded, his voice low and unreadable.Before he could respond further, I stepped past him, moving into the coolness of the main bedroom. Despite the refr
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